Captain Suryakumar Yadav produced a commanding return to form with an unbeaten 82 off just 37 balls as India thrashed New Zealand by seven wickets in the second T20 International to go 2-0 up in the five-match series in Raipur on Friday.
Chasing a stiff target of 209, India recovered superbly from an early wobble at 6 for 2, riding on a scintillating 76 off 32 balls from Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar’s masterclass in controlled aggression. Shivam Dube added valuable momentum with a rapid 36 off 18 deliveries as India sealed the chase with 28 balls to spare.
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Earlier, New Zealand were put in to bat and made full use of the batting-friendly surface. Rachin Ravindra set the tone with a brisk 44 off 26 balls, while contributions from the top order kept the scoring rate high. After India clawed their way back through the middle overs, skipper Mitchell Santner provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 47 off 27 balls to take New Zealand past the 200-run mark.
With the win, India extended their dominance in the series after also winning the opening match and now holds a commanding lead.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 208/6 in 20 overs (Rachin Ravindra 44, Mitchell Santner 47*; Kuldeep Yadav 2/35)
India 209/3 in 15.2 overs (Ishan Kishan 76, Suryakumar Yadav 82*)
(By PTI Inputs)
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