Ishan Kishan hit his maiden T20I century in the IND vs NZ 5th T20I.
The unstoppable Men in Blue have once again made a brilliant comeback to thrash New Zealand by 46 runs in the fifth and final IND vs NZ T20I. After enduring a 50-run defeat in the previous fixture, this victory ensured that the reigning champions, India, will begin their title defence at home with a winning momentum.
Here are a few hits and flops from the 5th T20I between India and New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram:
The wicketkeeper-batter, who made his way back to the national team after more than two years, has now finalised his spot in India’s playing XI for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The southpaw’s stellar run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) had earned him a recall to India’s squad against New Zealand as well as in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026.
The gloveman also grabbed his opportunity with both hands to notch up 215 runs in just four matches of the series at an astonishing strike rate of 231.18. Ishan Kishan’s pulsating hundred, followed by two fierce knocks from skipper Surykumar Yadav (63 off 30) and Hardik Pandya (42 off 17), had propelled the hosts to 271/5, which is their third-highest score in the T20Is.
The Black Caps opener is riding on a fierce run of form, coming off a great Big Bash League campaign for the BBL 2025 champions, Perth Scorchers. His 466 in 11 matches of the league topped the tally for the most runs of this season. Joining the visitors’ squad after his stint in Australia’s T20 tournament, Finn Allen also continued a similar form to smack 80 runs off only 38 deliveries.
His heroics included eight fours and six over-boundaries, striking at a blistering rate of 210.52. But after his departure, no other Kiwi batter could carry on the momentum. They kept losing wickets at regular intervals and eventually got bundled out for 225 runs with two balls remaining.
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Following the scores of 10, six, and a duck, the gloveman might had sparked a ray of hope among his fans with his three boundaries and a maximum during the 15-ball 24 innings in the last T20I. But Sanju Samson could not convert it into a much-needed spectacular knock in front of his home crowd in the final fixture.
The Kerala batter could manage only six runs in his last chance to save the opening spot for the T20 World Cup 2026. Considering Kishan’s red-hot form, the management is expected to play him as their first-choice keeper-batter in the forthcoming T20 championship. Notably, he was also seen to take up the duties with the gloves tonight, which sends a clear indication regarding India’s World Cup starting XI plans.
India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah endured a tough outing in the fifth encounter. While defending 271, he not only went wicketless but also conceded 58 runs in his four-over quota, at an expensive economy rate of 14.50. But despite the underwhelming show, the side would not be much worried over his form heading towards the multinational T20 league.
The match-winner, who recently grabbed the Player of the Match accolade for his brilliant 3/17 in the third T20I, has nothing more to prove. The fans can definitely bank on the last edition’s Player of the Tournament to swiftly get back to his best as India now shift their focus on defending the T20 title on home soil.
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