Abhishek Sharma smashed 113 off 38 balls as India chased down 199 in just 13.2 overs to beat New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20 International in Wellington on Tuesday, 27 October 2026. The win gave India an unassailable 3 to 0 lead in the five match series with two games still to play, the BBC reported.
Abhishek reached his fifty off 15 balls and his hundred off 35, while 15 year old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made 45 off 19 balls in an opening stand of 133. India finished on 199 for 4 with 40 balls to spare.
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Abhishek Sharma and Sooryavanshi tear into the new ball
The chase was over as a contest almost before it began. Abhishek and Sooryavanshi took 26 runs off the opening over, bowled by Jacob Duffy, and India were 64 without loss after three overs, according to a match report carried by NDTV Sports.
By the end of the six over powerplay India had 118 runs without losing a wicket. The BBC said that total set a new record for a powerplay in men’s international T20 cricket. India’s captain later pointed out that the side had raced to 100 inside five overs.
Sooryavanshi was the first to go, dismissed by Matthew Fisher in the eighth over for 45. His innings included some fierce hitting of his own, but he was very much the junior partner on the day.
Abhishek carried on with Sanju Samson. His 113 came off 38 balls and included nine fours and 11 sixes before he was finally dismissed, with India needing just 21 more runs. The middle order completed the job without fuss.
The left hander fell just short of his own Indian record. His fastest T20I hundred for India, scored off 30 balls against Afghanistan last month, remains the benchmark, the BBC noted.
New Zealand post 198 for 3
Earlier, India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bowl, The Hindu reported. India named an unchanged playing eleven, while New Zealand made three changes to their pace attack, bringing in Matthew Fisher, Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne for Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson and Nathan Smith.
Daryl Mitchell held the home innings together with an unbeaten 89 off 52 balls. Finn Allen made 40 off 25 balls and Bevon Jacobs added 39 off 23. Mitchell and Jacobs put on 75 for the fourth wicket to take New Zealand to 198 for 3, a total that looked competitive at the halfway mark.
Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy took a wicket each for India.
For New Zealand, Kyle Jamieson took two wickets and Fisher one. Captain Mitchell Santner’s figures of 1 for 17 from three overs stood out in a match that was hard on bowlers, the BBC said.
What Shreyas Iyer said
Iyer called the opening stand “absolutely stunning†at the post match presentation. He said that by the time he and Samson walked out, the ball was seaming, which made the start even more impressive. “Honestly speaking, getting 100 in 5 overs, I’ve never seen that before,†he said, as quoted by NDTV Sports.
Iyer also explained how India held New Zealand under 200. After 10 overs, he said, almost anything short of a full ball was being hit into the stands, so he asked his bowlers to keep bowling yorkers. The plan, he said, was to restrict the hosts to below 200.
He added that the players had arrived carrying jet lag and still adjusted quickly to overseas conditions, and said he hoped the openers would keep their form going in the last two games.
How the series has unfolded
India had already won the first two matches of the series by four wickets, both times in the final over, the Associated Press reported. The first win came in a chase of 226 in Christchurch, and the second, also at Christchurch, was set up by Tilak Varma.
Wellington offered a very different test. AP noted before the game that its square boundaries are shorter than those at Hagley Park, where the first two matches were played, which left bowlers with little margin for error. Sooryavanshi had made only four in the second game, AP said, but kept his place and justified the selectors’ faith.
What comes next
The fourth T20I is scheduled for Friday, 30 October, and the fifth for Sunday, 1 November, both starting at 12:30 PM IST, according to the NDTV Sports fixture list. The tour then moves on to five one day internationals and two Tests, with the first ODI listed for 4 November.
With the series won, India may use the last two games to look at other options. New Zealand, who were competitive in the first two games, will be looking to avoid a whitewash.
Read more on Bharat Stories about India’s chase of 226 in the first T20I, Tilak Varma’s match winning effort in the second T20I, and how India picked their squads for the New Zealand tour.
Featured image photo: Ari Bakker, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (a 2006 New Zealand v West Indies match at Wellington Regional Stadium; not from this game).
FAQ
How many runs did Abhishek Sharma score in the third T20I?
He scored 113 off 38 balls, with nine fours and 11 sixes, reaching his hundred off 35 balls.
What is the series score?
India lead the five match T20I series 3 to 0 after winning in Wellington, so they have already won the series.
When is the next match?
The fourth T20I is on Friday, 30 October 2026, from 12:30 PM IST.
Sources
- BBC Sport, 27 October 2026: scores, powerplay record, Abhishek’s 35 ball century, India record, Santner figures, tour schedule.
- NDTV Sports (syndicated feed), 27 October 2026: over by over details, Iyer quotes, bowling figures, fixture list.
- Associated Press, 27 October 2026: pre match report on the first two matches, team changes and Wellington boundaries.
- The Hindu (PTI), 27 October 2026: toss, team changes and playing elevens.