India vs New Zealand highlights, 2nd T20I: Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan shine as India crush New Zealand by 7 wickets, go 2-0 up

India vs New Zealand highlights, 2nd T20I: Ishan Kishan justified his national recall with a sensational 32-ball-76 while captain Suryakumar Yadav scored his first fifty after 23 innings as India decimated New Zealand by seven wickets for a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20 series here on Friday.

Ahead of the all important T20 World Cup, it all seems to be falling in place for India with Suryakumar (82 not out off 37) overcoming a prolonged lean patch and Kishan emerging as a destructive top-order enforcer.

India were expected to chase 209 on a belter of a pitch but not with such ease after losing Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson by the second over of the chase.

Suryakumar and Shivam Dube (36 not out off 18) closed out the game in a canter as India gunned down the target in 15.2 overs.

Kishan, back in the side after a gap of more than two years, went berserk from ball one and ended with 11 fours and four sizzling sixes.

Kishan's knock actually would keep Sanju Samson on tenterhooks after back-to-back failures as Tilak Varma, when fit would take that number three position. In such a situation, Kishan stacking up necessary numbers could spell doom for the Kerala man.

Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav found his rhythm again with two crucial middle-overs breakthroughs as India restricted New Zealand to 208 for 6 on a good batting surface in the second T20I here on Friday.

Rachin Ravindra (44 off 26) and captain Mitchell Santner (47 not out off 27) applied pressure at different stages to push New Zealand beyond the 200-run mark.

Anticipating heavy dew, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav chose to field, with Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav coming into the XI in place of the injured Axar Patel and the rested Jasprit Bumrah.

Devon Conway (19 off 9) and Tim Seifert (24 off 13), fresh from the Big Bash League, gave the visitors a brisk start before departing in quick succession.

Despite being beaten by an outswinger first up, Conway attacked Arshdeep Singh in the opening over, striking three crisp fours and a sliced six over backward point as the over went for 18 runs.

Seifert followed suit by hammering four boundaries off Arshdeep’s next over, which also cost 18. Harshit Rana was brought on in the fourth over and struck with his second delivery, dismissing Conway for the fourth time in as many innings, continuing his dominance over left-handers that dated back to the ODI series.

Rachin Ravindra (44 off 23) then played a series of eye-catching strokes before perishing while chasing a wide delivery from Kuldeep. The wrist-spinner’s first success, however, was the dangerous Glenn Phillips, who failed to read the googly and was caught at backward point.

At 111 for 3 after 10 overs on a true surface, New Zealand appeared set for a much bigger total, but India clawed their way back. Shivam Dube, introduced as the seventh bowling option in the 12th over, removed the in-form Daryl Mitchell with a well-disguised slower ball to apply the brakes.

Santner ensured New Zealand finished strongly, taking 57 runs off the final five overs with a flurry of boundaries and a straight six off Hardik Pandya.