Some chases are won. This one was demolished. Abhishek Sharma hammered 113 off just 38 balls in Wellington on Tuesday (October 27) as India hunted down New Zealand's 198 for 3 in only 13.2 overs, winning the third T20I by six wickets and locking up the five-match series 3-0 with two games still to play.
New Zealand had every reason to feel good at the halfway mark, with Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten 89 lifting them close to 200. Within six overs of India's reply, the contest was effectively over.
How New Zealand Got to 198
India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bowl, with the plan, as he later explained, to keep the hosts under 200. It almost went wrong. Finn Allen set the tone early, clearing the rope five times in a brisk 40 off 25 balls before Nitish Kumar Reddy removed him.
Mitchell then took charge. The right-hander stayed till the end for 89 off 52 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes, and found a useful partner late on in Bevon Jacobs, who finished unbeaten on 39 off 23. Glenn Phillips chipped in with 17.
For India, Arshdeep Singh (1/33) dismissed Tim Seifert, Axar Patel (1/36) got rid of Phillips and Reddy picked up Allen's big wicket. Three wickets in 20 overs on a good batting surface told its own story: this was a total built to test India.
Abhishek and Sooryavanshi Blow the Chase Apart
What followed was one of the most brutal starts India have ever produced in T20 cricket. Abhishek and his young opening partner Vaibhav Sooryavanshi attacked from the very first over, and India raced to 118 without loss in the powerplay, which reports described as the highest powerplay total in men's T20 internationals.
Abhishek brought up his half-century in just 14 balls and kept going. His 113 came with nine fours and 11 sixes before he was caught by Phillips in the deep off Kyle Jamieson. Sooryavanshi played the perfect foil, making 45 off 19 balls with four fours and four sixes before falling to Matthew Fisher, caught by Mitchell.
The pair added 133 for the first wicket in just 7.1 overs. By the time Iyer holed out off Mitchell Santner with India on 193 for 3 in the 13th over, only the formalities remained. India finished on 199 for 4 with 40 balls to spare.
Key Numbers From the Wellington T20I
| Match | 3rd T20I, India tour of New Zealand 2026 |
| Date | Tuesday, October 27, 2026 |
| Venue | Wellington, New Zealand |
| New Zealand | 198/3 in 20 overs (Daryl Mitchell 89*, Finn Allen 40, Bevon Jacobs 39*) |
| India | 199/4 in 13.2 overs (Abhishek Sharma 113, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 45) |
| Result | India won by six wickets with 40 balls left |
| Opening stand | 133 runs in 7.1 overs |
| Powerplay | 118/0 in six overs |
| Series | India lead 3-0 in the five-match series |
What Iyer Said
Iyer did not hide his delight after the match, calling the batting display "absolutely stunning" and saying it was "pleasing to see". He admitted New Zealand had gone past the target India had set for themselves with the ball, but the openers made sure that never mattered.
For Santner's side, the defeat will sting. They made three changes to their XI for this game and got a strong batting performance, yet still lost with more than six overs unused. It is the kind of result that forces a team to rethink how it bowls in the powerplay.
Why This Win Matters for Indian Cricket
For Indian fans, the bigger takeaway is the depth of attacking options at the top of the order. Abhishek has now made a habit of turning matches inside the first six overs, and Sooryavanshi, still at the start of his international career, looked completely at home against a full-strength New Zealand pace attack away from home.
The series win also comes after two tighter games. India chased down targets by four wickets in both the first and second T20Is, with the middle order of Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir doing the heavy lifting. This time the top order did all the work, which is exactly the balance a team management wants to see.
There is also a selection angle. With the series already won, the remaining two games give the team a chance to look at players who have not had a run yet, and to manage workloads of the fast bowlers ahead of the ODI and Test legs of the New Zealand tour.
What Happens Next
Two T20Is remain in the series, and India will now play for a clean sweep while New Zealand look to salvage some pride at home. After the T20Is, the tour moves on to the ODI and Test series, for which the BCCI has already named separate squads.
Whatever happens in the last two games, the Wellington night will be remembered for one innings. A 38-ball hundred-plus knock, a world-class powerplay and a near-200 chase finished before the 14th over: India have rarely made a big target look this small.
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