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| @Ishan Kishan playing a shot during his 76 runs innings vs New Zealand at Raipur in 2026 |
India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I (23 January 2026) at Raipur:
It was on a hot evening in Raipur when the cricket fans were subjected to a high voltage game between India and New Zealand in the second T20 International between the two nations, in a five match series. It was an urgent battle on both parts as India tried to establish their hold at home, and New Zealand eager to rectify their defeat in the first game of the series. What ensued was a throbbing cricket event packed with theatrics, talent and batter scaling.
New Zealand posted a competitive score of 208/6 in their allotted 20 overs and India responded emphatic 209/3 in 15.2 overs winning the match by seven wickets with 28 balls remaining.The victory served to give India a 2-0 lead in the series.
New Zealand Batting First: Building a strong Total.
New Zealand won thetoss and chose to bat and expressed confidence in the setting of a huge target.They had an aggressive agenda starting with ball one.
- Mitchell Santner anchored theinnings were stabilized by making a crucial 47 not out off 27 balls providing stability after early breakthroughs.
- Rachlin Ravindra was also instrumental in providing valuable backing with a 44 run hit to keep the momentum alive.
- Contributions from other batters ensured New Zealand and saw them past the 200-run mark and to 208/6 in 20 overs which is quite a good figure in T20 cricket.
The Kiwis made their innings marked by purpose big hitting, made risks, and switched changes of strike. They put India bowlers under pressure and at some point appeared to be holding India back to a tricky figure. The pursuit of India would prove to be even more dramatic.
India' Chase: A Masterclass in Power Hitting and Partnership
In pursuit of 209, India began to stutter as they were 6/2 soon after the innings had commenced. It was a wobbly beginning, but it was then followed by a gorgeous recovery on the basis of aggressive batting and a game changer partnership.
Suryakumar Yadav:The Hero of Success
- Captain Suryakumar Yadav was exceptional, and he smashed unbeaton 82 off 37 balls,His performance at the bat was a mixture of accuracy, daring and genius.
- SKY was able to read the bowlers, combine power and timing, and speed up at a faster pace, to reverse the game. He penalized loose deliveries and opened gaps easily, without putting the scoreboard in the red.
- His knock, as well, involved a borderline of boundaries and sixes - that type of stick that does not only run down big totals but it is the kind of innings that shoots the confidence of a team.
Ishan Kishan: The Explosive partner
- Ishan Kishan was also phenomenal as he scored 76 off 32 balls. Fearless hitting was the order of the day in his innings, and the bowlers were on the receiving end most of the time.
- Kishan' blazing start and partnership with Suryakumar, which made India get a victory early in the chase.
A 122-run partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan became a lifeline, as it not only made a dent on the initial losses but also transformed the Indians to have a formality and not a battle.
India scored 209/3 in 15.2 overs, which is an incredible pursuit with close to five overs to spare. It was also one of the most assertive successful 20 over cricket chases in India that was characterized by aggressive batting and relentless aggression.
Bowling and Fielding: india's Tactical Advantage
The fortunes of the bowlers in India had been varied. New Zealand was able to achieve a threatening figure with the precious input of their batters. But important bowling work served to beat down the resistance to a difficult and yet pursuable mark:
- Kuldeep Yadav pick up the vital wickets in the New Zealand innings, making his contribution of two breakthroughs.
- Shivam Dube also had a key fielding and bowling performance to prevent the scoring.
The bowlers managed to make sure that New Zealand did not take the game away with them completely even after they had conceded 208 runs, though, India was fully aware that anything more than 200 was an uphill task in T20 cricket.
Key Moments & Turning point:
The dynamics of this match were characterized by a number of aspects:
1. The Ishan-Suryakumar Partnership:
The defining moment in the match was the Suryakumar-Ishan stand after losing initial wickets. Their united tactics, violent will and lack of haste put India on the winning side.
2. Early Setbacks and Recovery:
The loss of two premature wickets would have derailed the chase of India. But maturity and game awareness was projected in the manner the middle order stabilized and brought momentum.
3. inspired leadership by Suryakumar.
The captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav played a vital role not only in managing handicaps but also in organizing its resources, setting time limits and keeping its batting unit quite calm and disciplined.
Impact and Context:
This triumph was significant in a number of ways:
- Series Advantage: This win gave India a 2-0 edge in their five match series which left the Indian team at an upper hand.
- Momentum Building: This chase followed a good performance in the first game of the series (a 48-run win), which cemented India in the T20 format in the lead-up to the global tournaments.
- Confidence Boost: The overall performance of the team in batting particularly by Suryakumar and Kishan would give a morale boost and would be tested in combinations before major ICC events.
Within the wider context of cricketing it re-affirmed India as a force in T20 cricketing, full of depth, flexibility and the capacity to chase huge totals when under pressure.
Public and Fan Reaction:
As fans and commentators celebrated India and its dominating pursuit, they pointed to the entertainment aspect and the masterpiece tactical and strategic side of the game:
- Social network fans of cricket rejoiced over the explosive batting and smooth collaboration that characterized the Indian batting.
- It was observed that India has a sufficient batting strength which enables aggression even with quality bowling attacks such as that of New Zealand.
Conclusion:
On 23 January 2026 game between India and New Zealand in Raipur will be remembered as the thrilling game of Twenty20 cricket in the modern world. The seven wicket triumph of India with the help of an incredible piece of batting by Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan was a breath-taking performance of skill, nerve, and pressure. It was not only a statistical victory but a declaration of mark of an Indian team that was defiantly full of confidence and flair.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 208/6 in 20 overs (Mitchell Santner 47, Rachin Ravindra 44; Kuldeep Yadav 2/35) lost to India 209/3 in 15.2 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 82*, Ishan Kishan 76*) by 7 wickets.