India and New Zealand combined to put up the second-highest match aggregate in a T20I — 496 runs — as the hosts won the fifth and last T20I of the five-match series by 46 runs at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.
What is match aggregate?
It is the total runs scored by both teams combined.
The record belongs to the West Indies vs South Africa game in 2023, where both teams together scored 517 runs. India and New Zealand edged out the India-West Indies game in 2016, which produced 489 runs to take the second spot.
| Total runs | Match | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 517 | West Indies vs South Africa | Centurion | 2023 |
| 496 | India vs New Zealand | Trivandrum | 2026 |
| 489 | West Indies vs India | Lauderhill | 2016 |
How India Beat New Zealand?
Ishan Kishan scored his maiden T20I hundred, and Arshdeep Singh claimed five wickets as India overwhelmed New Zealand by 46 runs, securing the series 4-1.
Kishan made 103 off 43 balls, helping India reach
271/5 in Thiruvananthapuram after choosing to bat first in their final match before the T20 World Cup starts next weekend.
Ranked number one in T20 cricket, India bowled out New Zealand for 225, despite opener Finn Allen’s 38-ball 80.
Arshdeep, a left-arm fast bowler, recorded his first five-wicket haul in T20s for India, finishing with 5/51. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel took three wickets.
Though Arshdeep conceded 40 runs and took one wicket in his first two overs, he later made a strong comeback.
Allen and Rachin Ravindra added 100 runs for the second wicket before New Zealand’s momentum faltered when Allen was dismissed.
Arshdeep caused further damage by taking two wickets in one over, including Ravindra for 30 and skipper Mitchell Santner for a duck.
Ish Sodhi scored a brave 33 off 15 balls before falling as the last wicket, with New Zealand all out in 19.4 overs.
Earlier, India lost local favourite Sanju Samson for six, but Kishan took control in a 137-run third-wicket partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 63.
Kishan attacked leg-spinner Sodhi, hitting four fours and two sixes in a 29-run 12th over. Suryakumar then reached his third fifty of the series with two consecutive sixes.
Spinner Santner dismissed Suryakumar by stumping, but Kishan completed his century off 42 balls with a six, celebrating joyfully as he received applause from the fans and teammates.
Kishan, who was dropped by Glenn Phillips in the deep on 84, was eventually dismissed by Jacob Duffy after hitting six fours and ten sixes. Hardik Pandya maintained the momentum with a 17-ball 42, as India scored 169 runs in the last 10 overs.
(With inputs from Agencies)
