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| Jasprit Bumrah celebrates after taking a wicket during the third T20 international cricket match against New Zealand at the ACA Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on January 25, 2026. | Photo Credit: Rituraj Konwar |
The Men in Blue restricted the visitors to 153 for nine, with Jasprit Bumrah (3/17) and recalled leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2/18) delivering match-defining spells before Abhishek (68 not out off 20 balls) and captain Suryakumar Yadav (57 not out off 26 balls) made light work of the chase.
Bishnoi Returns Without Missing a Beat
India's decision to rest trump card Varun Chakaravarthy and give Bishnoi his first international outing in nearly a year proved inspired. The 25-year-old leg-spinner showed no signs of rust, bowling a fantastic spell that strangled New Zealand's middle order alongside the imperious Bumrah.
"Whenever a team is on a roll, almost every change it makes seems to click," and India's bowling attack exemplified that perfectly on Sunday evening.
New Zealand's Batting Collapse
The warning signs came early for the Kiwis when Harshit Rana dismissed Devon Conway in the first over—the opener's fifth dismissal on this tour. It was a harbinger of the struggles to come.
Most New Zealand batters failed to find their timing, repeatedly falling victim to catches in the deep. Bishnoi tied down both Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips in exemplary fashion, with neither able to even rotate the strike comfortably. At the other end, Bumrah operated at his absolute best, giving no room as New Zealand limped to a below-par total.
Abhishek's Belligerent Brilliance
Though Sanju Samson departed off the first ball of the chase, any faint Kiwi hopes were quickly extinguished by Ishan Kishan and Abhishek.
Kishan set the tone by smashing Matt Henry for two sixes and a four in the opening over. From there, Abhishek took complete control with a batting masterclass that left the New Zealand pacers shell-shocked.
The left-hander's onslaught featured bludgeoning hits over the leg-side, audacious sliced shots, and clean strikes down the ground. When he picked Jacob Duffy over square-leg for his fourth maximum, Abhishek brought up the second-fastest fifty by an Indian—reaching the milestone in just 14 balls.
Suryakumar Seals the Deal
Once Abhishek had done the heavy lifting, captain Suryakumar—finally finding form in this series—took over to notch another unbeaten half-century and seal the contest in style with 10 overs to spare.
The comprehensive victory marked India's ninth consecutive T20 series win, underlining their dominance in the shortest format.
For New Zealand, the tour ended in comprehensive defeat, with their batters unable to adjust to conditions and their bowlers powerless against India's batting firepower when it mattered most.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 153/9 in 20 overs (Bumrah 3/17, Bishnoi 2/18) lost to India 154/2 in 10 overs (Abhishek Sharma 68 not out, Suryakumar Yadav 57 not out) by eight wickets.
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