India defeated New Zealand by 7 wickets in the second T20I in the five-match series on January 23. Chasing 209 runs, the Men in Blue completed the chase in 15.2 overs, with captain Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan going all out in Raipur. Suryakumar scored an unbeaten 82 runs off 37 deliveries, with the help of 9 fours and 4 sixes. Ishan managed 76 runs off 32 balls, with the help of 11 boundaries and 4 maximums. Shivam Dube remained 36 not out in 18 balls, laced with 3 sixes and 1 four. Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi and Matt Henry claimed 1 wicket each.
Earlier, New Zealand reached 208/6 on the back of impressive batting displays by skipper Mitchell Santner (47*) and Rachin Ravindra (44). Kuldeep Yadav, who returned to the Playing XI, dismissed two batters.
Match Overview – India vs New Zealand, January 23
New Zealand had no answers to Kishan and SKY’s brilliance with the bat, and their stand of 122 runs put India in a commanding position. New Zealand were sloppy in the field and dropped easy catches and conceded extra runs. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana, Dube and Varun Chakravarthy also sent back one batter each, which prevented New Zealand from crossing the 230-run mark batting first.
Player of the Match – Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan was named the Player of the Match for scoring 76 runs off 32 balls.
How the Match Was Won
India didn’t stop after the openers were back in the dressing room on a score of 6 runs. Kishan and Yadav were the heroes of the match. Suryakumar was on 10 in 10 balls and allowed Ishan to play freely, which worked in the team’s favour. Once Surya found his range and Ishan was dismissed, he pressed the attacking button, and there was no looking back for the right-handed batter.
Reactions and Post-Match Comments
Suryakumar Yadav lauded Ishan Kishan for his batting. “I didn’t know what he had for lunch. I haven’t seen someone batting that way despite the score being at 6 for 2. We want our batters to express themselves. Credit to bowlers for keeping New Zealand at 208. We thought it was a 230-plus wicket,” he said.
Ishan was pleased with his performance. “I was focusing on what I have to do today. I was trying to maximize the powerplay overs. It was a pretty good day for me,” he said.
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner felt 300 runs were needed to challenge India. “300 runs would be a par score against these guys. There are some guys who will join us, and we want to make sure the team is ready for the World Cup. We were put under pressure today, and it was good to learn,” he said.
Series Impact and What’s Next
India have taken a 2-0 lead, with the third T20I scheduled on January 25 in Guwahati.
FAQs – India vs New Zealand Player of the Match
Q1: Who was the Player of the Match in India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I on January 23?
A1: Ishan Kishan was awarded Player of the Match for scoring 76 runs.
Q2: What were Ishan Kishan’s key stats?
A2: He scored 76 runs off 32 balls, laced with 11 fours and 5 sixes.
Q3: Who won the 2nd T20I between India and New Zealand?
A3: India won by 7 wickets.
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