India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I: Kishan and Suryakumar Lead India's Astonishing Chase

Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav showcased the destructive potential of modern T20 batting in a remarkable display at Raipur on January 23, 2026. From a precarious position of 6 for 2 in the second over, India romped home to complete a chase of 209 in just 15.2 overs, winning by seven wickets with 28 balls remaining. Kishan smashed 76 off 32 balls while Suryakumar remained unbeaten on 82 off 37 deliveries in what became India’s joint-highest successful chase in T20Is. The comprehensive victory gave India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match IND vs NZ series.

Disastrous Start: India 6 for 2

India’s chase began in the worst possible fashion as both openers fell cheaply within the first 1.1 overs. Sanju Samson managed just six runs despite getting a life when Devon Conway dropped him at deep square leg off Matt Henry and parried the ball over the boundary line for four. However, Samson couldn’t capitalize on the reprieve and was caught at mid-on in the same over.

Abhishek Sharma’s stay at the crease lasted just one ball. The left-hander flicked Jacob Duffy straight to deep square leg where Conway made no mistake this time, catching him for a first-ball duck. At 6 for 2 after 1.1 overs while chasing 209, New Zealand were firm favorites to level the series.

India’s Early Collapse	Player	Runs	Balls
Sanju Samson	6	5	Caught at mid-on
Abhishek Sharma	0	1	Caught at deep square leg
Total	6/2	1.1 overs	Required: 203 from 18.5 overs

Kishan’s Explosive Counterattack

Ishan Kishan had other ideas. The left-hander launched an audacious counterattack that turned the match on its head within the space of a few overs. He targeted Zak Foulkes in the third over, smashing three fours and a six in an over that also featured three wides and a no-ball.

There was no looking back from that point. Kishan raced to his fifty off just 21 balls, improving on Abhishek Sharma’s record from the first T20I by one ball to register the fastest T20I fifty by an India batter against New Zealand. By the end of the powerplay, India were sitting pretty at 75 for 2, having completely transformed the chase.

Ishan Kishan’s Innings	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	Strike Rate
Powerplay Phase	50+	21	–	–	238.10
Total	76	32	Multiple	Multiple	237.50

The fact that both Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi turn the ball into the left-hand batter played into Kishan’s hands. He hit a six off each of them, exploiting the match-up brilliantly. Sodhi induced a miscue in the tenth over that resulted in Kishan’s dismissal, but by then the required rate had come down to just 7.36 runs per over.

Suryakumar Ends Fifty Drought

Throughout his batting slump last year, Suryakumar Yadav maintained he was not out of form, only out of runs. In this match at Raipur, he found runs in abundance. There were signs of revival in the first T20I when he scored 32 off 22 balls, but here he looked close to his best.

With Kishan going berserk at the other end, Suryakumar did not have much strike initially. However, this also allowed him to take his time, settling on a run-a-ball 10 before he swept Santner over short fine leg for four in the eighth over.

The runs came in a torrent thereafter. In the next over bowled by Foulkes, Suryakumar smashed four fours and a six, completely taking apart the New Zealand seamer. Even after Kishan fell in the tenth over, he did not let the scoring rate drop.

Suryakumar Yadav’s Milestone Knock	Phase	Runs	Balls
Initial Period	10	10	Finding rhythm
Acceleration (Overs 8-10)	40+	13	Four 4s, one 6 vs Foulkes
Fifty	50	23	First in 24 T20I innings
Final Total	82*	37	Strike Rate: 221.62

Suryakumar brought up his fifty in 23 balls, ending a drought that had lasted 24 T20I innings. He hit boundaries not just behind the wicket and on the leg side but also through the off side, displaying his full range of strokes.

Fortune favored the India captain during his innings. Mark Chapman parried a difficult chance over the boundary line when Suryakumar was on 43. Santner dropped a dolly when he was on 64, and a leading edge on 70 just evaded backward point. But after enduring a prolonged lean patch, these reprieves seemed overdue.

In the company of Shivam Dube, who contributed an unbeaten 36 off 18 balls, Suryakumar took India across the line with remarkable ease.

New Zealand’s Blazing Start

New Zealand had set the platform for their 208 for 6 with an explosive start of their own. Devon Conway targeted the off side against Arshdeep Singh’s away-swinging deliveries, hitting him for three fours and a six in an 18-run first over.

Arshdeep’s second over also went for 18 runs, with Tim Seifert causing the damage this time through four successive fours. New Zealand raced to 36 for 0 after just two overs, putting immense pressure on the Indian bowling attack.

Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy briefly applied the brakes. Rana had Conway caught at mid-off with a slower ball in a wicket-maiden, marking the fourth time on this tour that he dismissed Conway. Remarkably, each dismissal came while bowling from around the wicket.

From the other end, Varun Chakravarthy had Seifert skying one, and Kishan took the steepler back-pedaling from short midwicket. However, Rachin Ravindra took Rana apart in the last over of the powerplay, smashing two slower balls out of the ground while collecting a four in between to take New Zealand to 64 for 2 after six overs.

New Zealand’s Innings Phases	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Run Rate
Powerplay (1-6)	6	64	2	10.67
Middle Overs (7-16)	10	88	2	8.80
Death Overs (17-20)	4	56	2	14.00
Total	20	208/6	6	10.40

Middle-Overs Slowdown Costs New Zealand

Ravindra continued his aggression against Varun Chakravarthy, hitting the spinner for two sixes in the eighth over. Glenn Phillips took on Kuldeep Yadav in the next over, picking up one six and two fours off the first four balls. However, he miscued a wrong’un to be caught at backward point.

Despite losing Phillips, New Zealand maintained momentum to reach 111 for 3 at the ten-over mark, keeping themselves on track for a massive total.

India bounced back after the drinks break with crucial wickets of Daryl Mitchell and Ravindra in successive overs. Shivam Dube removed Mitchell with a slower ball, and Kuldeep had Ravindra edging a wide delivery to short third. Ravindra’s 44 off 26 balls had been a breezy knock, but his dismissal triggered a slowdown.

As a result, New Zealand managed only 41 runs in the six overs starting from the 12th, a period that cost them dearly in the context of the chase. This middle-overs stagnation allowed India back into the contest despite New Zealand’s explosive start.

Santner’s Late Flourish

Mitchell Santner revived New Zealand’s innings in the death overs, playing a crucial cameo that lifted the total past 200. The left-hander struck four fours and a six during his unbeaten 47 off 27 balls, attacking the Indian bowlers with calculated aggression.

Zak Foulkes also played a handy supporting role, contributing 15 not out off eight balls as New Zealand collected 56 runs in the last four overs. They breached the 200-run mark, but the slowdown in the middle overs had robbed them of what could have been a genuinely intimidating total.

At the post-match presentation, Santner jokingly suggested they probably needed 300 to defend successfully. Given how India’s batsmen demolished the chase, he was only half-joking. The final total of 208 for 6, while substantial, proved woefully inadequate against India’s relentless batting assault.

Bowling Performances

New Zealand’s bowling figures reflected the carnage inflicted by India’s batsmen. Zak Foulkes bore the brunt of the assault, conceding 67 runs from his three overs at an economy rate of 22.33. His one over to Suryakumar that yielded four fours and a six proved particularly expensive.

Matt Henry finished with 1 for 41 from three overs, while Jacob Duffy claimed 1 for 38 from four overs. Mitchell Santner (0 for 27 from 2 overs) and Ish Sodhi (1 for 34 from 3 overs) fared slightly better but couldn’t stem the flow of runs.

New Zealand Bowling Analysis	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Matt Henry	3	41	1	13.66
Jacob Duffy	4	38	1	9.50
Zak Foulkes	3	67	0	22.33
Mitchell Santner	2	27	0	13.50
Ish Sodhi	3	34	1	11.33

For India, Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 35, including the crucial wickets of Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra. Harshit Rana continued his dominance over Devon Conway, dismissing him for the fourth time on tour.

Series Implications

The victory gave India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series with three matches still to play. More significantly, it demonstrated India’s batting depth and ability to chase down any total regardless of early setbacks.

The match equaled India’s highest successful chase in T20Is, showcasing the firepower available throughout their batting lineup. With Kishan finding his best form and Suryakumar breaking his fifty drought in spectacular fashion, India’s T20 World Cup preparations received a major boost.

For New Zealand, the defeat highlighted their inability to defend even substantial totals on Indian pitches. Despite posting 208, they were outplayed by nearly five overs, raising questions about their bowling attack’s effectiveness in subcontinental conditions.