Sports

India Clinch T20I Series 3‑0 After Abhishek Sharma’s 113‑Ball Century

By The Times Of India

India secured a 3‑0 victory over New Zealand in the third T20I, sealing the five‑match series with two games remaining. The match, played in Wellington, saw India chase 199 with 40 balls to spare, winning by six wickets.

India’s openers, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma, produced a record‑setting 118‑run partnership in the Powerplay, with Sharma scoring 113 off 38 balls. He reached his century in just 35 balls, hitting ten sixes and four fours. Sharma credited the coaching staff’s preparation and the ground’s dimensions for his performance.

New Zealand’s innings began with a quick dismissal of Tim Seifert, but Finn Allen and Daryl Mitchell steadied the chase. Mitchell remained unbeaten on 89, while Bevon Jacobs added a handy knock. India’s bowlers, especially Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy, kept the run rate below 200, with the death overs proving decisive.

New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, described the loss as tough and noted the difficulty of containing Indian batters once they got going. He also mentioned dew on the pitch and praised the Indian openers’ fearless approach.

Shreyas Iyer, the Indian captain, praised the openers’ performance and highlighted the importance of playing fearlessly, especially overseas. He also noted that India had conceded runs on hard‑length deliveries and had asked bowlers to focus on yorkers.

The match’s key moments included a 4‑run over by Kyle Jamieson, a wicket by Mitchell Santner on Shreyas Iyer, and a series of boundaries from Abhishek Sharma that kept India’s chase on track. The final score saw India 199/4, with 21 runs needed from 60 balls.

With the series now decided, New Zealand will look to regroup ahead of the upcoming ODI series against India.