In Raipur, India chased down a daunting target of 208 in just 15.2 overs, marking the second-highest successful chase in their T20I history. The win was also historic in terms of efficiency, becoming the biggest victory by balls remaining while chasing a 200-plus target by a full-member nation. The result underlined India’s batting depth and fearless approach as preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026 gather pace.
New Zealand had their moments in the second T20I. After early trouble, Rachin Ravindra steadied the innings with a quick 44, while skipper Mitchell Santner finished strongly with an unbeaten 47 to push the total to 208 for 6. India’s bowlers shared wickets evenly, with Kuldeep Yadav standing out through timely breakthroughs.
India’s chase, however, quickly tilted the game. Despite early losses, Ishan Kishan counterattacked aggressively before Suryakumar Yadav produced a captain’s knock, remaining unbeaten on 82 to seal the match comfortably.
The Barsapara Stadium presents an interesting challenge. With an average first-innings score of 161 and dew expected to play a key role, teams winning the toss may prefer to bowl first. India will also keep an eye on milestones, with Kuldeep Yadav nearing 100 T20I wickets and Rinku Singh closing in on 3,500 T20 runs.
New Zealand face a must-win situation. They will need sharper bowling and greater batting consistency to halt India’s momentum and extend the series.
Squads:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravi Bishnoi
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi.