NEW DELHI: Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav returned to form ahead of the team’s title defense in next month’s World Cup as he and Ishan Kishan smashed quick fifties to secure their seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the second Twenty20 International in Raipur on Friday.
Suryakumar hammered an unbeaten 82 after Kishan’s blistering 76 as India chased a target of 209 with 28 balls to spare for a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Put into bat, New Zealand posted an impressive 208-6 with captain Mitchell Santner top-scorer for them with an unbeaten 47.
India rested spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and did not risk spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel, who injured his thumb in the first match, ahead of the T20 World Cup.
New Zealand started strongly against India’s depleted attack before openers Devon Conway (19) and Tim Seifert (24) fell in successive overs.
Rachin Ravindra (44) smashed four sixes and two fours in his 26-ball blitz before falling to spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who also got rid of the dangerous Glenn Phillips (19).
Santner and Zak Foulkes, who had 15 runs without an out, helped New Zealand surpass the 200-mark.
India faltered in their chase as they lost Sanju Samson in the first over while compatriot Abhishek Sharma fell for a first-ball duck in the next over.
Kishan counter-attacked in spectacular fashion by hitting four sixes and 11 fours in his 32-ball knock.
Suryakumar’s maiden fifty in 24 T20 internationals was no fluke, however, and the Indian captain was dropped three times, including one by his New Zealand counterpart Santner.
Shivam Dube made 36 not out from 18 balls in a dominant batting display from the hosts.
The teams now travel to Guwahati for the third match on Sunday.
DASHBOARD
NEW ZEALAND:
D. Conway v Pandya b Rana 19
T. Seifert v Kishan b Chakaravarthy 24
R. Ravindra v A. Singh b K. Yadav 44
G. Phillips v Pandya b K. Yadav 19
D. Mitchell v Pandya b Dubé 18
Mr. Chapman v Sharma b Pandya 10
Mr. Santner not absent 47
Z. Foulkes not absent 15
ADDITIONAL (B-4, LB-2, W-6) 12
TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs) 208
FALL OF Wickets: 1-43 (Conway), 2-43 (Seifert), 3-98 (Phillips), 4-125 (Mitchell), 5-129 (Ravindra), 6-161 (Chapman)
DID NOT DEFEAT: M. Henry, I. Sodhi, J. Duffy
BOWLING: A. Singh 4-0-53-0 (1s), Pandya 3-0-25-1 (1s), Rana 3-1-35-1 (2s), Chakaravarthy 4-0-35-1 (2s), K. Yadav 4-0-35-2, Sharma 1-0-12-0, Dube 1-0-7-1
INDIA:
S. Samson c Ravindra b Henry 6
A. Sharma v Conway b Duffy 0
I. Kishan v Henry b Sodhi 76
S. Yadav not absent 82
S. Dubé not absent 36
ADDITIONAL (NB-1, W-8) 9
TOTAL (for three wickets, 15.2 overs) 209
FALL OF Wickets: 1-6 (Samson), 2-6 (Sharma), 3-128 (Kishan)
DID NOT BEAT: R. Singh, H. Pandya, H. Rana, A. Singh, K. Yadav, V. Chakravarthy
BOWLING: Henry 3-0-41-1 (1w), Duffy 4-0-38-1 (1w), Foulkes 3-0-67-0 (5w, 1nb), Santner 2-0-27-0 (1w), Sodhi 3-0-34-1, Mitchell 0.2-0-2-0
RESULT: India won by seven wickets.
Published in Dawn, January 24, 2026
