Chasing 199, India needed a fast start. What they got was a full-scale assault. Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, promoted to open, took the New Zealand bowlers to the cleaners from the very first ball. Sooryavanshi kicked things off with a boundary over mid-on off Jacob Duffy. By the end of the first over, India had plundered 26 runs, the most expensive opening over conceded by a Full Member team in T20I history.Source: Outlook India

Abhishek reached his half-century in just 15 balls, while Sooryavanshi matched him stroke for stroke. India raced to 50 in the third over and reached 100 in just five overs, the fastest team century in T20I history. By the end of the powerplay, the scoreboard read a staggering 118/0 – the highest powerplay score in the history of men’s T20 Internationals, surpassing Romania’s 116/0 against Serbia in 2021.Source: ABP Live

While Sooryavanshi fell for a blistering 45 off 19 balls, Abhishek Sharma continued the carnage. He reached his century in just 35 deliveries, the fourth-fastest in T20I history for India. His innings was a masterclass in power-hitting, featuring 11 sixes and 9 fours. He finished with 113 off 38 balls at a staggering strike rate of 297.36.Source: Crictoday

Abhishek’s assault left New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner bereft of ideas. He tried pace, he tried spin, he tried changing his fields, but nothing worked. By the time Abhishek fell in the eighth over, caught by Glenn Phillips after a spectacular boundary-side effort, India were already at 133/1 and needed just 66 more runs from 77 balls.Source: The Statesman

After the heroics of the powerplay, the rest of the chase was a formality. Sanju Samson (11) and Shreyas Iyer (7) fell cheaply, but the required run rate was never a concern. Naman Dhir finished the game with a boundary, sealing a six-wicket victory with 40 balls to spare.Source: Hindustan Times

New Zealand’s total of 198/3, built on Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 89 off 52 balls and Bevon Jacobs’ 39* off 23, was always going to be competitive. But they hadn’t accounted for the Indian openers’ fury. Mitchell’s effort, which included five fours and five sixes, was rendered moot by the batting carnage that followed.Source: Outlook India

With this win, India have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. The remaining two matches will be a chance for the team management to experiment and give opportunities to fringe players. But the headlines will continue to be dominated by the Wellington heist – a performance that will be remembered as one of the greatest displays of power-hitting in the history of T20 cricket.