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10 clusters · 83 sources · 54 days · First seen · Last updated

India leads T20I series against New Zealand

Overview

India holds an unassailable 3-0 lead in their five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The series was clinched in the third match at Wellington’s Henry Stadium, where India chased 199 to win by six wickets. During that match, openers Abhishek Sharma and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set a Men’s T20I powerplay record by scoring 118 runs in the first six overs. Sharma’s 113 runs off 38 balls marked his 11th T20 century, surpassing Virat Kohli for the most T20 hundreds by an Indian player.

As the series moves toward the fourth T20I at Eden Park in Auckland on October 30, 2026, Sharma is positioned to climb India’s all-time T20I run-scorers list, needing 26 runs to pass KL Rahul and 49 runs to overtake Hardik Pandya. He is also approaching a milestone that would place him alongside players such as Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell. Former batter S Badrinath has praised Sharma as one of the “most devastating hitters in the game,” noting that his ability to instill fear in bowlers during the powerplay gives him a statistical impact superior to players like Harry Brook.

Veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar has returned to the squad after a four-year absence. While his initial three matches in this series have been difficult, former batter Ajinkya Rahane has defended the 36-year-old. New Zealand continues to manage injury setbacks, with bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Henry Matthews ruled out for the remainder of the series. Matt Fisher has been called up as Ferguson’s replacement.

Entities

Bhuvneshwar Kumar · India national cricket team · Royal Challengers Bengaluru · New Zealand national cricket team · Abhishek Sharma

Timeline

  1. [SPORTS] 5 sources
    Abhishek Sharma nears elite T20I milestone during India tour of New Zealand

    Indian batter Abhishek Sharma is on the verge of joining an elite group of T20I cricketers during the India vs New Zealand series, amid praise for his devastating hitting ability.

  2. [SPORTS] 11 sources
    Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns to Indian T20I squad after four years

    Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has returned to the T20I squad after four years, aiming to rebuild form through domestic cricket following a challenging start to the New Zealand series.

  3. [SPORTS] 34 sources
    Abhishek Sharma scores century as India clinches T20I series against New Zealand

    Abhishek Sharma’s 38-ball century and a record-breaking powerplay helped India defeat New Zealand by six wickets, clinching the five-match T20I series with a 3-0 lead.

  4. [SPORTS] 60 sources
    Abhishek Sharma leads India to T20I series win over New Zealand

    Abhishek Sharma's explosive 35-ball century and a record-breaking powerplay partnership with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi led India to a series-clinching win over New Zealand in Wellington.

  5. [SPORTS] 5 sources
    Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns to Indian cricket after four-year absence

    Bhuvneshwar Kumar has returned to the Indian T20I team after four years, securing his first international wicket in 1,434 days during a match against New Zealand.

  6. [SPORTS] 3 sources
    Bhuvneshwar Kumar's T20I recall earns praise from cricket veterans

    Former cricketers Ravi Shastri and Murali Kartik have endorsed Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s T20I recall, emphasizing that his recent domestic and IPL success outweighs concerns regarding his age.

  7. [SPORTS] 11 sources
    Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns to India T20I squad for New Zealand tour

    India has announced its T20I squad for the New Zealand tour, highlighted by the return of veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar after four years. Shreyas Iyer will captain the side.

  8. [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Kris Srikkanth doubts Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to India squad

    Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth doubts Bhuvneshwar Kumar will return to the national team, citing concerns over India's ODI bowling depth during the series against the West Indies.

  9. [SPORTS] 5 sources
    Bhuvneshwar Kumar accepts exclusion from Team India

    Veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has accepted his exclusion from the national team, stating he has made peace with the fact that a comeback to Team India is unlikely following the 2022 T20 World Cup.

  10. [SPORTS] 3 sources
    Bhuvneshwar Kumar faces calls for Indian cricket team comeback

    Former cricketer Suresh Raina is calling for Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to the Indian team following his strong 2026 IPL performance. Kumar expressed his own desire to play for India again.

Sources

aajtak.com · adr.it · agniban.com · amigoearuba.com · argusnews.in · arynews.tv · bhaskarhindi.com · bhaskarlive.in · circleofcricket.com · clujlife.com · cricinformer.com · crictracker.com · devdiscourse.com · dharitri.com · dnaindia.com · dtnext.in · enavabharat.com · english.mathrubhumi.com · english.publictv.in · europesays.com · gawahweekly.com · gulfnews.com · hindi.asianetnews.com · hindi.latestly.com · hindi.news18.com · hindi.newsbytesapp.com · hindi.sportskeeda.com · hindutamil.in · homeoft20.com · icecric.news · in.mashable.com · india.com · india.timesofnews.com · ipl.com · kalingatv.com · khabarfast.com · khabarindiatv.com · khelnow.com · latestly.com · m9.news · maalaimalar.com · malaimurasu.com · marksmendaily.com · millenniumpost.in · mirchi9.com · morungexpress.com · munsifdaily.com · nationalheraldindia.com

This summary has been updated 28 times: see revision history