Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium witnessed a batting masterclass from Ishan Kishan as India took on New Zealand in the second T20I. The young left-hander’s 32-ball 76, adorned with 11 boundaries and 4 sixes, turned the game on its head and created history in the process.
What stood out was Kishan’s dominance in the powerplay: 56 runs off 23 balls, becoming the first non-opening Indian batter to achieve a fifty in those crucial first six overs. This effort lifted India from a precarious 6/2 to 75/2, marking their second-best powerplay score against New Zealand.
Kishan’s resurgence after a quiet start to the series underscores his potential as a game-changer. With the T20 World Cup looming, this performance reaffirms his spot in the squad and injects confidence into the team’s middle order.
New Zealand’s innings of 208/6 was powered by Santner’s gritty 47* (27 balls) and Ravindra’s entertaining 44 (26 balls). Kuldeep Yadav led the Indian bowling with two scalps, as the team defended their strong position following the opener’s victory.
After dropping the ODI series 1-2, India is determined to assert supremacy in T20Is. A win here would make it 2-0, setting the stage for a commanding series lead.