Raipur, India - India secured a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, following a seven-wicket victory in the second T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Friday. The match saw India chase down a challenging target of 209 with relative ease, leaving New Zealand Captain Mitchell Santner to ponder what could have been.
New Zealand's innings saw them post a competitive total of 208/6, with valuable contributions from Rachin Ravindra (44 off 26) and Santner himself, who remained unbeaten on 47 off 27 balls. Their efforts helped New Zealand recover from early wickets, with Conway (19 off 9) and Seifert (24 off 13) providing a quick start. However, India's Kuldeep Yadav put the brakes on the scoring in the middle overs, claiming two crucial wickets.
In response, India's batting lineup fired on all cylinders, completing the chase in just 15.2 overs. Ishan Kishan led the charge with a blistering 76 off 32 balls, supported by Suryakumar Yadav, who remained unbeaten on 82 off 37 deliveries. Shivam Dube also contributed a quick-fire 36 off 18 towards the end, ensuring a comfortable victory for the hosts. Despite losing openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson early, Kishan counter-attacked, putting pressure back on the New Zealand bowlers.
Following the game, Santner reflected on the challenges of defending against the in-form Indian batting lineup. When asked how much is enough against this Indian side, he quipped, "Maybe 300 I guess (laughs)". He acknowledged the depth and intent in India's batting, saying, "When you come up against a side that bats deep on a really good wicket, that's the way India have come out – with intent from ball one. I guess they have a license for every batter".
Santner further admitted that his team needs to be more aggressive with the bat and that scores of 200 or 210 are unlikely to be sufficient against a strong Indian team. He also emphasized the importance of keeping the squad fresh with the World Cup in mind and viewed the game as a valuable learning experience for his team.
India's captain, Suryakumar Yadav, opted to bowl first after winning the toss, keeping in mind the possibility of dew. India made a couple of changes to their playing XI, bringing in Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav, while Jasprit Bumrah was rested and Axar Patel was unavailable due to a minor injury.
Notably, the New Zealand players wore black armbands during the match to honor the victims of the severe storms and landslides in New Zealand's upper North Island.
With this win, India leads the five-match T20I series 2-0 and looks strong. The series provides both teams with an opportunity to fine-tune their squads and strategies ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup.
