Men in Blue are playing their first series after the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2022. In the second T20I against New Zealand on Sunday (November 20), Suryakumar Yadav‘s outstanding ton guided the team to a massive total of 191/6 at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. The first T20I in Wellington was abandoned due to rain.
The Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and decided to field first. Despite opener Rishabh Pant‘s short-lived innings (six off 13 balls), another opener Ishan Kishan scored a slow 36 runs off 31 balls with five fours and a six. In the 10th over, Ish Sodhi bowled a short ball which Kishan smashed on the back foot to cut it but got an outside edge, and the ball flew toward Tim Southee, who dived and caught it at the short third man.
Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya scored 13 each but Team India had nothing to worry about, at least in this match. Suryakumar yet again proved why he is the No.1 batter in the world currently as he continued his golden run in T20Is by showcasing his 360-degree range from the word go.
The ball was moving a bit but it did not stop Suryakumar when he walked out at No. 3. He smashed 11 sixes and seven maximums to score an unbeaten 111 off just 51 balls at a strike rate of 217.65 to take India to a massive total of 191/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Southee scalped two back-to-back wickets in the final over. He first dismissed Deepak Hooda for a golden duck on the fourth ball, when sent Washington Sundar for a golden duck on the next ball. Southee scalped three wickets for the Kiwis, while Lockie Ferguson picked two, and Sodhi grabbed one.
With this knock, Surya posted the highest total by an Indian batter in T20Is in New Zealand. It was also his second ton of the calendar year in the shortest format. He became the second India batter after Rohit Sharma to hit two centuries in a calendar year; his maiden century came against England earlier this year.
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