India vs New Zealand, 3rd T20I, New Zealand tour of India, 2026 - Commentary

So another utterly incredulous batting performance from India and they have eaten New Zealand alive quite literally to take the series. The next two games will be used to further fine-tune their World Cup preparations. New Zealand know that they will get stronger once Finn Allen joins them. Also Santner in the post-match presentation alluded to the fact that he expects conditions to be vastly different in the World Cup to what they have got here. So on that note we sign off from here. Time to bounce off into the night. See you for the next game. Bye bye.

Jasprit Bumrah | Player of the Match: Yeah, I was keeping an eye when Harshit and Hardik bowled, what is the best option over here. Obviously when I came, the ball had become a little scuffed up. So the ball usually, the white ball doesn't swing for long. So what was my best option, how I wanted to try. So I tried to do that. (on if he has a preference on bowling with the old or the new ball?) I'm happy as far as I'm able to contribute. So if the team wants me to bowl with the new ball I'm more than happy, if they want me to bowl in the end, I'm happy to do that. I did that in Asia Cup as well. That was a new role for me. I've never done that before for too long. That bowling only three overs, but as a team we have to be flexible, so I'm flexible as well. (on completing 10 years in international cricket) Oh, it feels really good. I, as a child, only dreamt to play one game and you know, 10 years playing for your country, being not an allrounder, being a pure fast bowler, you know, fighting aches and pains, assumptions, opinions. Because when people saw me, I was not supposed to play for long. People gave me six months. So this is something that I was really proud of that playing for your country for so long and hopefully the journey continues but that is something that, you know, it's a feather in my cap and I'll keep it with me.

Suryakumar Yadav | India captain: (did they define domination like this when you were in school?) I think the principal and the teachers, they allot me a lot of time to play this game. They gave me a lot of holidays when it was tests and school time. I think from there, I used to practice a lot, go to the ground and learn from there. (on the chase) I think we've spoken about this. This is the brand of cricket which we want to play, irrespective we are batting first or chasing. Of course, for example, if we are 20 for 3 or 40 for 4 tomorrow, we know how to bat. But if you want to play a different brand of cricket, then I think this is the best way going forward. And what do I say about the top 2-3 batters? They made my job very easy. (on Bishnoi) I think his plans are pretty clear. He knows his strong points, he knows his bowling really well. Whenever chips are down, whenever team is under pressure, he's always delivered. So very good to have him in the side. And a good rest also for Varun, so yeah.

Mitchell Santner | New Zealand captain: Yeah, I think mean credit to India with the ball as well. They made it pretty tough for us. Obviously wickets in the powerplay is key. And then for us to scrap to 150, we knew it was going to be a challenge from there. (on their score) Yeah, I think it was still a good wicket for sure, obviously with the fast outfields and the smallish grounds. I think the cutters were holding a lot first innings. But I think you've got to give credit to the way they bowled. You know, put us under pressure from the start. I guess when you lose three in the powerplay, it always makes it tough. So yeah, I think it was probably a 180, 190 wicket to be fair. (could you think of doing things differently, like Mitchell at 3?) Yeah, I guess you put guys in roles and you try and make them do it. I guess for us, it's just, it's good prep for what's coming up. You know, these are, yeah, these are the extremes, I guess, flat wickets and stuff. I guess our first game is in Chennai against Afghanistan, which could look a lot different to what we've got here. So it's just giving us confidence, especially now just to come out and in a few days' time, and go again.

Winning with most balls to spare vs a FM team chasing 150+ targets
60 balls Ind vs NZ Guwahati 2026 *
37 balls WI vs SA Kingston 2024
33 balls Eng vs Pak Lahore 2022
32 balls SA vs Eng Joburg 2016

Also, the biggest margin of win against NZ chasing any target – no side has chased down a target inside 10 overs vs them.

Most consecutive T20I series wins (FM teams)
11* India (2024 – ongoing)
11 Pakistan (2016-18)
7 India (2017-18)
6 India (2019-21)

Most consecutive series wins at home (FM teams)
10 India (2022-26) *
8 Australia (2006-10)
7 India (2019-22)
5 Pakistan (2008-18)

Abhishek Sharma: (On his 14-ball fifty) That's what my team wants from me and I just want to execute all the time. But obviously, it's not easy to do it every time, but I think it's all about mental as well and the atmosphere you get around your dressing room as well. That's more than impossible for anyone (to break Yuvraj's fastest T20 fifty record), but still, you never know. Any batsman could do it because I think all the batters have been batting really well in this series as well and going forward, it's going to be fun. (On hitting another 1st ball six) I wouldn't say it's like I want to go from the first ball. It's just the instinct I get in between the wickets. I think about the bowler if he wants to get out on my first ball, then what he could bowl to me and that's always there in my mind and I just want to play on that ball. (On stepping out of the crease and moving leg-side to access the off-side) If you see that, that's all about the field placement because I never step out to the leg-side if I don't get fielding on ... there's a leg side, because if I get room for myself, then I have the whole ground off-side for me. So, that's always in my mind. I just want to play with the field.

Just a couple of observations - after the game Duffy saw Abhishek's bat and just shook his head before giving it back to the opener. Sums up the opener's batting tonight. Also Gambhir and Hardik had a chat with the groundstaff who looked eager to take photos with the duo.

21:38 Local Time, 16:08 GMT, 21:38 IST: This is a performance that will send shivers down everyone's (India's opponents) spine with the World Cup a few days away. Conway and Duffy check Abhishek Sharma's bat who is all smiles. The New Zealand duo have a friendly chat with Abhishek. This is not just a demolition job but done in soul-shattering fashion. A chase of 154 completed in 10 overs. Just 10 overs! The cheapest over that New Zealand bowled in the innings was 11 which happened twice. That explains the whole story. And this - after Samson went first ball of the innings. Ishan Kishan, Abhishek and Suryakumar Yadav were ruthless. They wanted to hit every ball and the white Kookaburra just flew to all parts of the ground. New Zealand looked shell-shocked with the assault and in boxing parlance, threw in the white towel quite early on. One of the most crushing wins this Indian outfit has registered against a top-quality outfit. One wonders if New Zealand were happy that the game got over - such was the punishment meted out to them. Stay tuned for the post-match stuff...

Abhishek Sharma has a chat with Suryakumar Yadav. Seems to be telling him to finish it off.