After defeating New Zealand in the series decider, Shubman Gill shone on the day and India stayed unbeaten in 2023. India defeated Mitchell Santner & Co. by a tremendous score of 168 runs, the largest margin of victory for India over the Kiwis.
Shubman’s innings put New Zealand out of the attack, but credit must also go to Rahul Tripathi, who launched the counter-attack in the powerplay. Tripathi was at 9 off 10 at one point, and by the time he concluded his bat that day, he had amassed 44 off just 22 balls. Suryakumar Yadav deserves credit for making another brief appearance, as does skipper Hardik Pandya, who struck 30 off 17 balls.
The game appeared to be over halfway through, as it seemed improbable that Mitchell Santner’s men would chase a target this large.
After dominating the one-dayers, in which he joined the 200-club in Hyderabad and then added another century in Indore, Gill hit a snag with mediocre returns in the first two T20Is, prompting some to question his credentials as a T20 batter. The Gujarat Titans opener would not only silence the critics but also rocket to the top of the series batting list with a stunning 126 not out, reaching the three-figure mark in just 54 balls and breaking Virat Kohli’s record for the best T20I individual score by an Indian.
After spin dominated the first two games, India’s pacers stole the show in the powerplay overs, reducing New Zealand to 21/5 in 4.3 overs.
The wickets kept dropping as a helpless New Zealand looked lost after 10 overs of chasing. The visitors were eventually dismissed for 66 runs in 12.1 overs as the pacers swept the 2021 T20 World Cup finalists.
Hardik Pandya was the standout bowler, taking four wickets for 16 runs. In addition to Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Mavi, and Umran Malik each took two wickets to put the last nail in the coffin for New Zealand in the series finale.
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