IND vs NZ, 2nd T20I: Kishan, Suryakumar help India make light work of 209-run chase against New Zealand

Ishan Kishan always looks like a man in a hurry. Back in the national team this series, after a hiatus, the flashy southpaw didn’t let the early dismissal of the openers curb his natural attacking instincts as he flayed a 32-ball 76 (11×4, 4×6) to power India to a dominant seven-wicket win in the second T20I against New Zealand at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Friday.

After Kishan’s pyrotechnics, captain Suryakumar Yadav (82 not out, 37b, 9×4, 4×6) unfurled some brilliant shots, taking the team home with 28 balls to spare in the company of Shivam Dube (36 not out, 18b, 1×4 3×6).

Walking in at No.3 after fellow southpaw Abhishek Sharma fell for a duck, disappointing the capacity crowd, the Jharkhand batter wasted no time in wading into the opposition bowlers. His blistering 122-run third-wicket stand in just 49 deliveries with Suryakumar made it a walk in the park for the Men in Blue in chasing down the target of 209.

It was a forgettable night for Mitchell Santner & Co. with the ball as Kishan and Suryakumar hardly put a foot wrong. The two peppered the boundary repeatedly, coming up with delightful shots.

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Pacer Zak Foulkes bore the brunt of the Indian batters’ thrilling strokeplay, conceding 49 runs in two overs as Kishan and Suryakumar tore into his bowling.

Earlier, skipper Mitchell Santner’s 27-ball 47 (6×4, 1×6) enabled New Zealand to make 208 for six in 20 overs in an effort which saw them fail to seize the initiative when presented with the chance.

Suryakumar Yadav unfurled some brilliant shots to take over after Kishan’s dismissal, completing the chase with 28 balls left.
| Photo Credit:
EMMANUAL YOGINI

Sent in to bat, the Kiwis appeared to fritter away a flying start provided by Devon Conway (19, 9b, 3×4, 1×6) and Tim Seifert (24, 13b, 5×4), losing wickets when poised for the push, with only Rachin Ravindra (44) and Santner being able to force the pace.

Up against an attack missing the rested Jasprit Bumrah and the injured Axar Patel, Conway picked up 18 runs in the opening over from Arshdeep Singh, including a slashed six over backward-point. The left-arm pacer conceded an equal number of runs in the third over as Tim Seifert hit four consecutive boundaries.

Spinner Kuldeep Yadav signalled a return to form, picking up two wickets while the other bowlers made sure that the visitors didn’t run away with things after a rapid start to the innings.

Published on Jan 23, 2026