Abhishek ton flattens New Zealand as India seal T20 series

Abhishek Sharma delivered a breathtaking 35-ball century to propel India to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third T20I in Wellington. The record-breaking opener amassed 113 runs off just 38 balls, setting a new fastest time for a batter from a full-member nation. Sharma's aggressive strokeplay put India on course to chase down New Zealand's 199 in just 13.2 overs.

In a remarkable display of team spirit, Sharma combined with 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to score a record 118 runs in the powerplay, breaking the previous mark of 116 set by Romania against Serbia in 2021. Sooryavanshi was eventually caught at long-on while attempting a slog shot off Matthew Fisher, a wicket that could have been denied to Fisher if Mitchell Santner hadn't dropped the ball in windy conditions.

Despite losing the toss and batting second, New Zealand managed to score 198 runs, with Daryl Mitchell contributing an unbeaten 89. New Zealand's bowlers faced a tough task in the powerplay as Sharma and Sooryavanshi smashed them around. New Zealand's captain, Santner, lamented the difficulty of stopping such determined batting, drawing parallels to his experiences in the IPL and the Wellington match.