India Dominate New Zealand in Guwahati, Clinch T20I Series With Ease

India continued their T20I juggernaut with an emphatic victory over New Zealand in Guwahati, sealing their 11th consecutive series or tournament win in the format and clinching the five-match series 3–0 with two games to spare.

After restricting New Zealand to a modest 153, India cruised to the target with a staggering ten overs remaining, underlining their growing dominance as they prepare to defend their T20 World Cup title at home.

Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi, both brought into the XI for the contest, spearheaded a disciplined bowling effort, sharing five wickets for just 35 runs. Their spell set the tone for a commanding all-round display, before Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan dismantled the chase with ruthless efficiency.

The victory was particularly significant, coming on the back of strong performances from players not currently part of India’s first-choice XI. India’s remarkable series-winning streak, which began even before their World Cup triumph two years ago, continues to gather momentum.

The hosts struck early through Harshit Rana, who removed Devon Conway in the opening over. Bumrah followed up in trademark fashion, flattening the off stump with his first delivery. Despite a golden duck for Sanju Samson, India seized control quickly as Kishan and Abhishek launched an aggressive counterattack, peppering the boundary from the outset.

Abhishek was the standout performer, registering India’s second-fastest T20I half-century off just 14 balls. His fearless approach, particularly against New Zealand’s tactic of bowling into his pads, left the visitors with few answers. Suryakumar, though less flamboyant, continued his return to form with a fluent unbeaten 57 off 26 balls, ensuring a smooth finish.

Earlier, New Zealand’s innings never truly recovered from the early blows. Conway, who had fallen to Rana in each of his previous four innings on the tour, once again failed to find a solution, mis-hitting to mid-off where Hardik Pandya pulled off a stunning overhead catch. Pandya then played a role in Rachin Ravindra’s dismissal in the following over, further deepening the visitors’ troubles.

Mitchell Santner had joked after the previous match that teams might need “300 against these guys,” but New Zealand were instead outplayed in all departments as India asserted their supremacy across formats.

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