NAGPUR, Maharashtra — Abhishek Sharma’s blistering 84 and a composed unbeaten 44 from Rinku Singh propelled India to a commanding 238 for 7 against New Zealand in the opening match of the T20I series at the New VCA Stadium on Wednesday.
Abhishek set the tone with an ultra-aggressive innings, smashing 84 off just 35 balls with five fours and eight sixes at a strike rate of 240. Rinku finished the innings in style, remaining not out on 44 from 20 deliveries, including four boundaries and three sixes, as India surged past the 230 mark after being sent in to bat.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya added crucial momentum through the middle overs with brisk knocks of 32 and 25 respectively, helping India register their highest-ever T20I total against New Zealand. The match marked a return of T20I cricket to Nagpur after a long gap, with questions lingering pre-match about what would constitute a competitive score on the surface.
India answered that decisively by sticking to their attacking blueprint. Sanju Samson showed early intent in his brief stay, pulling Kyle Jamieson for two boundaries in a seven-ball 10 before flicking tamely to mid-wicket. Ishan Kishan, making his first international appearance since 2023, struck a straight six and another over mid-wicket before being deceived by Jacob Duffy’s slower delivery and chipping to cover.
Suryakumar announced himself immediately with a crisp back-foot drive, while Abhishek went after the bowling without hesitation, stepping out to loft sixes and mixing power with precision through cuts and lofted shots for four. Suryakumar showcased his trademark pick-up six along with a range of lofts, drives, and sweeps before holing out to long-on shortly after Abhishek raced to a 22-ball half-century, his seventh in the format.
Abhishek added a few more boundaries before mis-hitting to long-on off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. Hardik Pandya counterattacked Jamieson and Mitchell Santner but fell pulling Duffy to mid-wicket, while Shivam Dube was dismissed early in a caught-and-bowled effort by Jamieson. Axar Patel also departed cheaply, but Rinku ensured the late overs belonged to India.
Targeting the limited bowling options at the death, Rinku exploited lofts, slices, and slogs, taking 21 runs off Daryl Mitchell in the final over to push India to a formidable total. With India’s reputation for tight middle-overs bowling, New Zealand face a steep challenge in the chase.
Brief scores: India 238/7 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 84, Rinku Singh 44 not out; Jacob Duffy 2-27, Kyle Jamieson 2-54) against New Zealand. (Source: IANS)
