India clinched a commanding 48-run victory over New Zealand in the opening T20I at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Tuesday, to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
With just four games
to go for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the dominating win assured Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav that all is well.
India Vs New Zealand: 1st T20 – Highlights
The skipper at the post-match presentation sounded confident when asked about India’s strategy of having eight batting options and three strike bowlers.
“I mean, it looks good. It’s been working for me as a team, and so if it’s working, let’s continue with that,” SKY said at the end of the match.
The batters’ attacking intent from ball one reinforced this approach. Despite losing Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan early, Abhishek Sharma launched a spectacular counter-attack. His 84 off just 35 balls, including eight sixes, completely shifted the momentum. Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh and Suryakumar himself ensured that the pressure remained constant, with Rinku’s unbeaten 44 in the final overs boosting India to a formidable total of 238/7.
In the chase, New Zealand were destabilised early by the dismissals of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, though Glenn Phillips fought back with an impressive 78 off 40 balls. India’s combination of pace and spin secured wickets at crucial moments. Varun Chakaravarthy took two wickets, Shivam Dube claimed two critical scalps at the death.
“I think it’s always good when we get those numbers on the board, and if there’s a little bit of dew on the board, I think that’s a big positive. And the way we batted, even after when we were put under pressure in the powerplay, we were 25-2, and then we took the game till the 15th over, and then we never stopped all the batters,” Suryakumar Yadav said.
Dropped Too Many?
When asked about the dropped catches by the Indian fielders, Suryakumar did not want to be too harsh on his teammates but stressed the need for improvement.
“I think with such a heavy dew, a few lines here and there, I mean, I’m just supporting my fielders. But yeah, I mean, we keep improving that one department. We try and improve always when we take on the field. So very happy with the effort from the boys,” Suryakumar said.
