India and New Zealand are once again gearing up to face each other in the third T20I of the five-match series to be played at the ACA Stadium, Barsapara, Guwahati, on Sunday. India march into the third T20I riding a wave of confidence after storming to a 2–0 advantage. Suryakumar Yadav’s men will be keen to shut the door on New Zealand to clinch a 2-0 series win.
In the second game, chasing a target of 208, India completed the task in 15.2 overs, sending out a clear warning signal as preparations gather pace for the T20 World Cup 2026. Meanwhile, New Zealand struggled to find early rhythm after opting to bat first. They lost wickets at regular intervals until Rachin Ravindra injected momentum with a fearless 44 from 26 deliveries. The late surge was provided by captain Mitchell Santner, whose unbeaten 47 off 27 balls helped New Zealand finish on a challenging 208 for 6.
India’s chase did not start smoothly, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson falling cheaply. But Ishan Kishan turned the match on its head with a breathtaking display of power-hitting. The left-hander tore into the New Zealand attack, hammering 76 runs, featuring 11 boundaries and four towering sixes. At the other end, skipper Suryakumar Yadav looked in great touch, producing a sublime unbeaten 82 from 37 balls to take India to victory. Now, for New Zealand, a win is essential if they are to keep the series alive and halt India’s rampant charge.
Head-to-head
Matches - 27
IND won - 14
NZ won - 10
No result - 3
India likely XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy
New Zealand likely XI: Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Zakary Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy