New Delhi: India’s batting maestro Ishan Kishan delivered a sensational display of power-hitting, smashing 10 towering sixes on his way to a blistering 103 off 43 balls, as India posted a massive 271/5 against New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I on Saturday. His onslaught, alongside skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s 63 off 30 balls, powered a 137-run third-wicket stand in just over ten overs, leaving the Kiwi bowlers reeling and fans in awe.
The opening salvo from Sanju Samson (6) failed to ignite, continuing his struggle in the series, but the middle-order duo of Kishan and Suryakumar completely reversed the momentum after India’s powerplay ended at 54/2. Kishan, returning from a brief injury layoff, exhibited flawless timing and footwork, starting his assault with a four and six off Lockie Ferguson and never letting up. He brought up his fifty in 28 balls, while Suryakumar reached the milestone in 26 balls, simultaneously crossing 3000 T20I runs.
India’s dominance in this series went beyond individual feats. Across the five-match T20I series, the team smashed 69 sixes, setting a new world record for the most sixes hit in a bilateral T20I series, surpassing England’s 64 against West Indies in 2023. In this innings alone, 23 sixes were launched, equalling the joint-most sixes ever conceded by a Test-playing nation in T20Is, previously set by South Africa against India in 2024.
Kishan’s innings was peppered with breathtaking strokes, including a punishing 29-run 12th over off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, with a sequence of 4,4,4,6,4,6. His second fifty, off just 14 balls, was an exhibition of sheer dominance. He eventually reached the century with a six off Mitchell Santner, celebrating the milestone exuberantly before embracing Hardik Pandya, who later contributed a quickfire 42 off 17 balls to push India past the 250-run mark for only the fourth time in T20I history.
Despite Suryakumar’s departure stumped by Tim Seifert, Kishan continued the carnage until being caught at square leg off Jacob Duffy, ending a historic innings that also took him past 1000 T20I career runs. The Indian innings now ranks as the fifth-highest total against a Test-playing nation, reinforcing India’s growing dominance in the shortest format.
According to multiple media sources, this explosive performance cements Kishan’s status as one of the most destructive batsmen in contemporary T20 cricket, while also showcasing India’s depth and firepower in their batting lineup ahead of upcoming international assignments.