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

WICKET! Hardik Pandya dismisses Mark Chapman for 10 runs. Putting pressure has done the trick for India. Runs were dried up for Kiwis. Chapman tries to go over the top, gets a top edge and Abhishek Sharma takes an easy catch at long on.

NEW ZEALAND 161/6 in 16.5 overs vs INDIA

Kuldeep – Varun in T20Is played together since 2025

10 T20Is
34 wkts
Avg 12.91
ER 6.70
SR 11.5

After conceding 36 runs in the first two overs, Arshdeep Singh makes a solid comeback and concedes just 4 runs in his third over. Yorker and some swing. Mark Chapman failed to find a single fence in his over. Good over at this stage.

NEW ZEALAND 155/5 in 16 overs vs INDIA

15 overs gone and 5 overs to go!

NEW ZEALAND 151/5

Mark Chapman and Mitchell Santner are in the middle

New Zealand are in a good position. But they have just 5 wickets in hand.

Can India restrict them under 200?

FOUR! Varun Chakaravarthy to Santner. The New Zealand captain flicks the ball towards fine leg. Arshdeep Singh fails to collect the ball. The ball races towards the boundary.

NEW ZEALAND 136/5 in 13.2 overs vs INDIA

WICKET!

Kuldeep Yadav dismisses Rachin Ravindra for 44 runs. That's a poor shot from Rachin. Kuldeep picks up his second wicket as Rachin chases a wide delivery and edges it to short third, where Arshdeep Singh took a low catch. New Zealand are losing the plot now. India in control.

NEW ZEALAND 129/5 in 12.3 overs vs INDIA

WICKET!

Shivam Dube removes Daryl Mitchell for 18 runs. SKY's experiment worked well here. He brings Dube into the attack and he gets a big fish. Mitchell miscues this. Hardik Pandya takes an easy one at long on.

NEW ZEALAND 125/4 in 11.3 overs vs INDIA

FOUR! Short of a length from Shivam Dube. Daryl Mitchell goes for a pull. Abhishek is on the run. He dives but fails to stop the ball. It's a boundary.

REVIEW and NOT OUT! A loud LBW appeal from Varun Chakaravarthy against Daryl Mitchell. Umpire says NOT OUT. Varun looks confident. SKY is smiling. Time is running out. He is having a chat with Varun and goes for a review.

Impact is outisde and it is NOT OUT.

India lose a review.

A brilliant stumping from Sanju Samson. Rachin Ravindra is the batter. Varun is asking. Sanju isn't confident. Umpire has gone upstairs to check. Rachin is well behind the crease. He is NOT OUT.

Drinks break!

It’s been a lively opening 10 overs with plenty unfolding already. There was a wicket-maiden to tighten the screws, but that was offset by seven overs that disappeared for 15 runs or more. New Zealand have gone hard from the outset and carried that attacking approach through the first half of their innings. The batters have found it easy to strike through the line, and with the dew beginning to take effect, the ball has raced away across the outfield.

Daryl Mitchell hits two back to back boundaries off Abhishek Sharma. First towards long on and the second straight down the ground.

New Zealand are three down but boundarries are coming for them.

The run rate is above 11 at the moment.

NEW ZEALAND 111/3 in 10 overs vs INDIA

Suryakumar Yadav brings Abhishek Sharma into the attack now.

Can he get another success?

Phillips vs Kuldeep in T20Is

Three innings
20 balls
21 runs
Three dismissals
Avg 10.50
SR 105

WICKET!

Kuldeep Yadav gets rid of Glenn Phillips for 19 runs. That's a googly from Kuldeep. Phillips fails to pick it. That's a mishit from the right hander. It's in the air. Hardik Pandya takes an easy catch at backward point.

NEW ZEALAND 98/3 in 8.5 overs vs INDIA

SIX! First ball from Kuldeep Yadav and punished. Glenn Phillips welcomes the Chinaman bowler with a huge one straigh down the ground. What a start from Phillips.

SIX! Great striking from Rachin Ravindra. He signs off Varun Chakaravarthy's over with another six. He ball lands into deep mid wicket hands.

SIX! Varun Chakaravarthy to Rachin Ravindra. Oh boy! what a shot. It's a 94 m biggie. He sits down on his knee, picks the length and whacks this over deep mid wicket. Varun is looking at the shot. He didn't expect this. First ball and a six. Pressure on Varun.

Suryakumar Yadav throws the ball towards Kuldeep Yadav. 7 overs and 5 bowlers. So much happening here. SKY knows Kuldeep's record vs Glenn Phillips.

Brilliant over from Kuldeep. Just 4 runs off it.

NEW ZEALAND 68/2 in 7 overs vs INDIA

Varun’s first over in last five T20Is (score at the time of his introduction)

1/3 (38/0)
0/3 (30/4)
1/3 (67/0)
1/4 (50/2)
1/2 (43/1) – today

That's the end of Powerplay!

NEW ZEALAND 64/2 in 6 overs

Glenn Phillips 1*, Rachin Ravindra 19*

SIX! A six, four and now another SIX. This time Rachin Ravindra dispatches Harshit Rana over deep mid wicket fence. A good over turning out to be for New Zealand. The ball is lost. Umpires are bringing a new ball now.

NEW ZEALAND 64/2 in 5.5 overs vs INDIA

SIX! Slower from Harshit but it is right in the slot. Rachin Ravindra didn't want this opportunity to go waste. He lofts this over long on fence.

WICKET!

Varun Chakaravarthy dismisses Tim Seifert for 24 runs. New Zealand arenow struggling. They were 43/0 in 3 overs and now 43/2 in 4.2 overs. Things changed pretty quickly in India's favour. Varun strikes in his first over. Both the solid openers are back in the pavillion. Seifert fails to read Varun's wrong 'un. He top edges and Ishan Kishan backtracks and takes a brilliant catch.

NEW ZEALAND 43/2 in 4.2 overs vs INDIA

Stat attack:

Arshdeep Singh – 18 runs in the first over – the joint most expensive first over by an Indian bowler in a T20I.

Paul Stirling scored as many against Bhuvneshwar Kumar in Malahide in 2022.

Conway vs Harshit this tour

Four innings
25 balls
18 runs
Four dismissals
Avg 4.50

WICKET!

Harshit Rana strikes, Devon Conway falls for 19 runs. A sigh of relief for India after expensive start from Arshdeep Singh. He comes and strikes second ball. He is celebrating. He bowls a slower one and plays this early. This is way high in the air. Hardik Pandya moves to his right and takes a brilliant catch. Harshit is celebrating. He has done the job for India.

NEW ZEALAND 43/1 in 3.2 overs vs INDIA

FOUR! Not a good day at office for Arshdeep Singh. Tim Seifert is taking on against him. Four back-to-back boundaries for Tim Seifert off the left arm pacer.

After 18 off the first over, Arshdeep leaks 18 more in his second over.

Poor bowling from Arshdeep.

Arshdeep so far: 2-0-36-0

NEW ZEALAND 43/0 in 3 overs vs INDIA

That's a poor delivery from Arshdeep Singh. Tim Seifert smashes the ball towards long-on fence.

FOUR! Tim Seifert is off the mark. He shuffles and plays this towards fine leg fence. Another boundary for New Zealand.

7 runs off Hardik Pandya's over

NEW ZEALAND 25/0 in 2 overs vs INDIA

Expensive over for India.

Three boundaries and a SIX for New Zealand. And all have come off Devon Conway's bat.

Arshdeep has conceded 18 runs off his first over. Poor start from India

NEW ZEALAND 18/0 in 1 over vs INDIA

Arshdeep Singh starts the attack for India. 2 slips in place.

Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Zakary Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy

Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy

India captain Suryakumar Yadav wins toss, opts to field vs New Zealand

The chants of “Abhishek! Abhishek!” ring out as the star opener walks out to the middle in a T-shirt and shorts for his warm-up.

A section of the crowd erupts in cheers for Abhishek, soaking in the moment.

Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav goes through some shadow practice on the sidelines.

More Indian players gradually join in as the warm-up session gathers pace.

Swashbuckling India opener Abhishek Sharma said he has been following the aggressive template set by former skipper Rohit Sharma in T20I powerplays after being encouraged to do so by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav. Having made his T20I debut in July 2024, Abhishek’s minute-a-mile batting approach has helped him take the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings for batters in that format.

In 34 matches so far, he has cracked two tons and seven fifties to score 1199 runs at a strike rate of 190.92.

"Rohit bhai has done a lot for the country. There is always pressure because of the starts he used to give in the powerplay,” Abhishek told JioHotstar when asked about Rohit’s influence on him.

“When I came into the team, the coach and captain wanted the same from me. I felt it suited my style too because I love to attack from the first few balls. I have been following in Rohit bhai's footsteps and I am really happy to play in this manner and do well for India,” he added.

Abhishek said while there is room for improvement in his game, he has complete role clarity.

"I wouldn't say I am fully matured yet, because there is always room to improve. But I feel my job is to play aggressive cricket in the first six overs.

"I have been practicing a lot for that. I know if I give a good start or show good intent early, the team can follow that momentum (and) that is what I always think about," he said.

With the T20 World Cup a fortnight away, Abhishek said he has been practicing against specific kind of bowlers he would come across in the competition.

"If I want to play aggressive cricket and show intent, I have to practice a certain way. That is what I always do before matches. When I get a week or 10 days, I keep in mind the bowlers I will face in the next series or matches. It all comes down to how I execute those plans.

“For the upcoming T20 World Cup, I have been practicing for that too. I know we will play all over India in different conditions against different teams, so preparation is key,” he added.

The 25-year-old said he tries to replicate match situations at nets to the extent that he prefers facing bowlers with similar style that he would face from the opposition camp.

“I try to get similar bowlers to bowl at me in the nets. For every bowler in the other team, I find someone similar to practice against,” he said.

“I ask them to bowl out-swingers, in-swingers, and use the new ball. I also ask them to take certain fielders out for me."

In his bid to remain ahead of the competition, the left-hander has also worked on the scenarios of bowlers taking pace off the ball against him.

“I know (that) especially going into the World Cup and any match, they won't give me a lot of pace. I realised that in the last few matches, so I have been working on it,” he said.

Abhishek said working on his back lift also helped him generate smooth flow of the bat.

"I have always had a high grip holding position on the bat. The only thing I worked on was my back lift. I used to keep it a bit low, but now I keep it above my waist so I can get a smooth flow,” he said.

"When it was low, I was getting late on some balls so I practiced that. But the back lift and the grip are both natural for me,” Abhishek added.

The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur will stage its second T20I.

The pitch expected to be on the slower side.

A competitive total is likely to fall in the 160–180 range.

Pacers could find some assistance early on. Spinners are expected to have a greater impact as the match progresses.

A desperate Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has written to the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), seeking to overturn the governing body’s decision to stage Bangladesh’s men’s team matches in India during the T20 World Cup. However, the appeal is unlikely to be heard as the matter falls outside the sub-committee’s jurisdiction.

With the ICC keeping Scotland on stand-by, the BCB, under president Aminul Islam Bulbul, opted for what appears to be its last available option after being left with little room to manoeuvre — approaching the DRC, which is headed by English barrister Michael Beloff (King’s Counsel).

"Yes, BCB has approached the DRC of ICC as it wants to exhaust all its options. If DRC rules against BCB, then the only body that can be approached is Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) in Switzerland," a BCB source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

The move comes after Bangladesh’s interim government, through its sports ministry advisor and known anti-India hardliner Asif Nazrul, announced that the team would not travel to India citing "security reasons". The statement followed the removal of senior pacer Mustafizur Rahaman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad on the BCCI’s directive.

However, a reading of the ICC Constitution and the ‘Terms of Reference’ of the DRC makes it clear that the committee does not have the authority to hear appeals against decisions taken by the ICC Board of Directors.

Despite the ICC Board of Directors voting decisively 14-2 in favour of retaining Bangladesh’s matches in India — following an independent security assessment that classified the threat level as "low to moderate" — Nazrul maintained that the decision rested with the government and not the BCB.

Clause 1.3 of the DRC’s Terms of Reference states: "The Committee shall not operate as an appeal body against decisions of the ICC or any decision making body established under the ICC's Memorandum and Articles of Association or under any rules or regulations of the ICC..."

An ICC board source reiterated the position, saying: "Bangladesh can approach the DRC but if one looks at the rules, the case can't even heard as the committee doesn't have the remit to hear an appeal which is against the decision made by the Board of Directors."

It is understood that ICC chairman Jay Shah, who was in Namibia for the Under-19 World Cup, is currently in Dubai, with a formal announcement regarding Bangladesh’s replacement expected by Saturday.

"The ICC Board Members are extremely angry with Aminul Islam Bulbul as to why before informing the global body, a press conference was held. Asif Nazrul is a persona-non-grata for the ICC but Bulbul shouldn't have allowed a press conference before informing their decision to the ICC," the source told PTI.

The ICC’s DRC operates under British law. One of its most notable recent rulings came in 2018, when it summarily dismissed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s USD 70 million compensation claim against the BCCI for allegedly failing to honour a bilateral series agreement.

In that verdict, the DRC ruled that what the PCB had described as a "Memorandum of Understanding" was merely a "letter of intent" and therefore not binding on the BCCI.

The DRC’s role is limited to examining whether the ICC Board has followed its own rules and procedures before arriving at a decision. It does not function as an appellate body.

Apart from Beloff, the 11-member committee includes Mike Heron (King’s Counsel) and Justice Winston Anderson as Independent Code of Conduct Commission representatives. The independent legal members are Deon van Zyl (South Africa), Gary Roberts (Americas), Guo Cai (Asia), EAP Anabelle Bennett, Jean Paulsson (Europe) and Peter Nicholson (Ethics Officer). Vijay Malhotra, Chair of the Audit Committee, and Sally Clark (Management Support) are also part of the panel.

Indian opener Abhishek Sharma said he has been trying to follow in former India captain Rohit Sharma’s footsteps with his attacking approach, while admitting that he does not consider himself “fully mature” as a batter yet.

Abhishek began the home series against New Zealand — India’s final bilateral assignment ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup — in emphatic fashion, smashing a blistering 35-ball 84 that included five fours and eight sixes to power India to a match-winning total of 238/7. The left-hander has been in outstanding form since last year, amassing 943 runs in 22 matches and innings at an average of 44.90 and a strike rate of 196.86, with one century, six half-centuries and a highest score of 135.


Speaking on Cricket Live, Abhishek said he believes there is always “room to improve” in his batting.

"I would not say I am fully matured yet, because there is always room to improve. But I feel my job is to play aggressive cricket in the first six overs. I have been practicing a lot for that. I know if I give a good start or show good intent early, the team can follow that momentum. That is what I always think about," he added.

The 23-year-old also spoke about the influence of T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma, revealing that skipper Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir wanted him to put opposition bowlers under pressure in a similar manner.

"Rohit bhai has done a lot for the country. There is always pressure because of the starts he used to give in the powerplay. When I came into the team, the coach and captain wanted the same from me. I felt it suited my style too because I love to attack from the first few balls. So, I think I have been following in Rohit bhai's footsteps, and I am really happy to play in this manner and do well for India," he said.

Abhishek explained that his aggressive intent is backed by meticulous preparation ahead of matches.

"When I get a week or ten days, I keep in mind the bowlers I will face in the next series or matches. It all comes down to how I execute those plans. For the upcoming T20 World Cup, I have been practicing for that too. I know we will play all over India in different conditions against different teams, so preparation is key," he said.

"I feel I have to play this way because in most teams, the main bowlers bowl the first few overs. If I score runs in those overs, it helps the team follow that momentum. It also puts the bowlers under pressure. Once that happens, I feel they are playing into my plan, and I can execute it," he said.

The stage is set for the second T20I between India and New Zealand at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. India currently lead the series after registering a comfortable win in the opening game.

As anticipation builds ahead of the Raipur clash, attention also turns to the weather conditions for the match.

Raipur weather report:

Good news awaits fans, with the weather in Raipur expected to remain pleasant and clear for the second T20I.

According to AccuWeather, temperatures during the evening and night are likely to hover between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius.

Mystery spinners rarely reveal their secrets, but New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips is emerging as one of the few batters who appears to have decoded at least part of the puzzle. In the first T20I against India here on Wednesday, Phillips stood out not only for his explosive strokeplay but also for the clarity with which he handled Varun Chakravarthy, a spinner many batters struggle to read.

Chasing a daunting 238, Phillips smashed a breathtaking 78 off 32 balls in a losing cause. One of the intriguing subplots of his innings was his duel with Varun, during which the New Zealander displayed a method built on balance, head position and picking up cues at the point of release.

"He is very difficult to pick and bowls very good length and at a very high pace. For me personally, just getting into strong positions, getting my head in right place and giving myself best chance to receive as much information from his hand as possible," Phillips said.

Phillips also stressed that there is no universal formula to counter Varun, whose threat is shaped by conditions and the assistance offered by the surface.

"Everyone plays differently and on pitches that turn more he becomes more difficult. On pitches like today where there isn't as much turn, it could be little bit easier at times but he could be incredibly difficult, very tough to play," he said.

"I guess everybody has to find their own ways to combat him."

Facing Varun for nine deliveries, Phillips scored 19 runs, including two towering sixes, and played just a single dot ball — a rare feat against a bowler who thrives on uncertainty and deception.

Phillips was also asked whether bowlers with extra pace, such as Lockie Ferguson or Matt Henry, might have been better suited to rein in Abhishek Sharma, who provided India with a blistering start.

"That's a tough question. I mean he has done it to the toughest fast bowlers in IPL, sometimes a guy is in a form like that you try and hit the best area possibly and hope that they make a mistake," Phillips said.

From a bowler’s perspective, Phillips admitted there is often little control once the ball leaves the hand when facing a batter in full flow.

"As a bowler, there is nothing much you can do when you release the ball. He hits all around the ground so sometimes you need little bit of luck," he added.

Despite producing what he described as a “little gem of an innings”, Phillips acknowledged that the chase was always going to be uphill once India posted such a massive total.

"When you are chasing 240 (238) everything needs to go your way and way Abhishek gave them start, they got a heads up. I think we batted well till 13th over mark but after that we decided Axar to be the guy we would target but I lost my wicket," he said.

Looking ahead in the series, Phillips said the opening game would help New Zealand better understand Indian conditions, with contrasting pitches set to test them.

"Understanding how the pitches are going to play like here. Couple of games we have in Chennai, this was flat and fast and in Chennai, there is an element of spin, it was understanding how conditions will be and the potential of dew factor.

"Understanding differences," Phillips said, pointing out that the spin-friendly Chepauk surface will offer a stark contrast to the flat Jamtha track.

Right-arm fast bowler Adam Milne has been ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup with a torn left hamstring and will be replaced in the squad by Kyle Jamieson, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Friday.

Milne suffered the injury while bowling in the SA20 on Sunday, with subsequent scans revealing the extent of the injury.

“We’re all gutted for Adam. He’d worked so hard to get himself ready for the tournament and was looking back to his best in his eight games for the Eastern Cape Sunrisers. It's unfortunate timing for Adam and we wish him a speedy recovery," said head coach Rob Walter.

Jamieson, who is currently part of the white-ball tour of India, has been added to the T20 World Cup squad after originally being named as the travelling reserve for the mega event in India and Sri Lanka.

Walter said Jamieson was a worthy replacement.

“It’s great that Kyle is already with us here in India. He’s an integral member of our pace-bowling group and has hit the ground running on this tour.

“He’s a hard worker with a good set of skills and experiences that will hold him good stead for the tournament," he said.

Milne has been a part of New Zealand’s squad at multiple T20 World Cups, including the 2012, 2016, 2021 and 2022 editions of the tournament.

He has played 11 matches at T20 World Cups and has taken six wickets for New Zealand.

The 33-year-old pacer has 65 wickets in 56 matches ever since his T20I debut for the Kiwis in 2010. Overall, Milne has 258 scalps from 226 T20 matches at an average of 23.23 and an economy of 7.89 in T20 cricket.

New Zealand have been placed in Group D alongside South Africa, Afghanistan, UAE and Canada in the T20 World Cup.

New Zealand will begin their campaign on February 8 with a clash against Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Cricket tragics, whatsapp uncles, millennials and zoomers often dissect India’s batting into a pre-Tendulkar and post-Tendulkar phase. And when one mentions Jasprit Bumrah, one suspects they will break down India’s pace bowling into a pre and post-Bumrah era.

When the Gujarat pacer was first spotted taking the wicket of Virat Kohli in the IPL in 2013 on his debut despite being hit for three boundaries, everyone was amazed at his unorthodox action and the ability to deliver accurate yorkers at will. The doubting Thomases also questioned whether his action will be sustainable over a long period and whether he can play the longer format. But at every stage of his life, Bumrah kept defying the odds and continued to chase excellence and write his own destiny to slot himself among the all-time greats.

On Friday, the right-arm pacer will complete a decade in international cricket when he takes the field during the second T20I against New Zealand.

His international debut in the fifth ODI against Australia in Sydney on Jan 23, 2016 was full of drama.

Bumrah was actually part of the T20I team on that tour and was supposed to fly to Adelaide three days prior to the last ODI, but as the Indian board could not find him a flight seat, he stayed back in Sydney. Bumrah thought he would get to spend some time in the company of the seniors and sharpen his skills, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would be handed an ODI debut. But he was drafted in, in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who fractured his thumb. The spot could have gone to left-arm seamer Barinder Sran, who was in the original ODI squad, but skipper MS Dhoni decided to go with his hunch and hand the Gujarat pacer ODI Cap No. 210.

The chosen one did not disappoint and finished with figures of 2/40 from 10 overs, which included the dismissal of Aussie skipper Steve Smith, and since then he has never looked back. By the end of the T20 games, Dhoni called him the find of the tour.

After the Sydney ODI, Smith admitted that because of Bumrah’s nippy action, the deliveries came quicker onto the bat than one thought. That unusual action, with the release much closer to the batter than traditional bowlers, gives the batter no trigger to react and has bamboozled modern-day greats like Smith, AB de Villiers and Joe Root.

Bumrah has made an impact across formats, but it was the T20s that first brought him into the limelight during the IPL with Mumbai Indians with captain Rohit Sharma often using Bumrah’s four overs like a pensioner used his retirement corpus.

He did the same during the T20 World Cup in 2024 too, especially in the game vs Pakistan in New York where his 3/14 across four overs enabled India to pull off a heist and defend 119.

The defence of 30 off 30 balls vs South Africa with six wickets left in the final too became possible only because Rohit still had two overs of Bumrah up his sleeve and the GOAT bowled one of the balls of the tournament to castle Marco Jansen.