IND vs NZ 2026: Top 3 run-getters from T20I series

It was a high-scoring five-match T20I series betweenIndia and New Zealand ahead of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. A lot was at stake for India after a disappointing

ODI series loss against the visitors, and the hosts bounced back with a thumping 4-1 series victory.

The series was filled with some breathtaking batting performances across both the teams, highlighting the ultra-aggressive nature of the batters in the shortest format of the game. The Indian batters, in a series filled with record-breaking team totals, amassed plenty of runs under their belt, sealing the top-three spots in highest run getters.

Here are the top 3 run-getters from the T20I series between India and New Zealand:

3. Abhishek Sharma

The World no.1 T20I batter, Abhishek Sharma was at his absolute best throughout the series, as he amassed a staggering 182 runs in five innings, which included two fifty-plus scores. What stands out is his strike rate of 249.31, showing his game-changing ability with the bat. 

In the third T20I of the series, he also scored the second fastest fifty in India’s T20I history, reaching the milestone in 14 balls. Now, he stands just behind his idol Yuvraj Singh, who scored a 12-ball fifty in 2007. The left-hander has been a revelation in India’s T20 set-up, and will be a crucial player for the hosts in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

2. Ishan Kishan 

It was a stellar and potentially a career defining series for the left-hander as he marked a successful comeback into the Indian colors with a 215-run series. Ishan Kishan scored those runs at an impressive strike rate of 231.18, while hitting 16 sixes. 

He was making his comeback into the Indian team after a span of more than two years and he made it a special one. In the final T20I, he scored a third-fastest T20I century for India, reaching the landmark in 40 balls. He now has given the team management a good headache, with Sanju Samson struggling for runs.

1. Suryakumar Yadav

“I am not out of form, just out of runs”, were the words of Suryakumar Yadav when he was asked about his recent struggles with the bat. And he proved that right by returning to his vintage best during the New Zealand series. The Indian captain was the highest run-getter of the series, scoring 242 runs in five innings, at an average of over 80 and a strike rate of 196.74, and with three fifty-plus scores. 

Once one of the most feared T20I batters, the 35-year-old had a horrid year with the bat in 2025, managing to score mere 218 runs in 19 innings, without a single fifty. But he came back strong and helped his team clinch the series 4-1, ahead of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.