Representative image. Archives New Zealand from New Zealand, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
.jpg){kind=link}
Why it matters
The win settles the series for India with two matches still to play, the team's third straight victory in New Zealand. The 133-run opening stand in 43 balls, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi moved up to open, gives the selectors a new opening pair to consider.
India beat New Zealand by six wickets in the IND vs NZ 3rd T20I (India vs New Zealand, as the match is listed) at Hnry Stadium in Wellington on 27 October 2026, chasing 199 in just 13.2 overs. Abhishek Sharma made 113 off 38 balls, and the win gives India an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series with two games left.
New Zealand had batted first and reached 198 for 3, built on Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 89. It looked like a strong total on a cold, windy afternoon. India’s openers needed less than eight overs to make it look small.
How the IND vs NZ 3rd T20I chase was won in 80 balls
Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bowl, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. India then opened with Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who the news agency IANS (Indo-Asian News Service) said had been moved up to open for this match.
The pair added 133 for the first wicket in 43 balls, according to the match scorecard. India were 118 without loss at the end of the six-over powerplay, the fielding restriction period at the start of each innings. Sooryavanshi hit four fours and four sixes in 45 off 19 balls before he was caught by Mitchell off Matthew Fisher in the eighth over.
Abhishek Sharma kept going. His 113 came with nine fours and 11 sixes, and he was finally caught by Glenn Phillips off Kyle Jamieson off the last ball of the 10th over. India were 178 for 2 at that point, needing 21 more from 60 balls.
The finish was untidy. Sanju Samson was bowled by Jamieson for 18 off 13, and Iyer made 5 off 10 before holing out to Phillips off Mitchell Santner. Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir saw India home, Dhir hitting the winning boundary off the second ball of the 14th over.
Abhishek Sharma’s 113 in numbers
The size of the innings shows up clearly when it is broken down. These are NewsPlainly’s calculations from the scorecard:
- Boundaries: 9 fours (36 runs) and 11 sixes (66 runs) make 102 of his 113 runs. Only 11 came from running.
- Share of the chase: 113 of India’s 199 is about 57% of the team total, in 38 of the 80 balls India faced.
- Strike rate: 297, or nearly three runs a ball.
- Balls to spare: India finished with 40 balls unused (120 minus 80).
IANS reported that this was Abhishek’s 11th century in all T20 cricket, the most by an Indian batter, one more than Virat Kohli’s 10. It was his fourth hundred in T20 internationals, the agency said. IANS also reported that India’s 118 for no wicket was the highest powerplay score in men’s T20 internationals, beating the 116 for no loss Romania made against Serbia in 2021.
India vs New Zealand: two innings, side by side
New Zealand’s innings and India’s reply were played on the same ground, a few hours apart, at very different speeds. The table puts the key points of each innings together.
| Stage | New Zealand | India |
|---|---|---|
| After 6 overs (powerplay) | 58 for 1 | 118 for 0 |
| After 10 overs | 100 for 2 | 178 for 2 |
| Final score | 198 for 3 (20 overs) | 199 for 4 (13.2 overs) |
| Top scorer | Daryl Mitchell 89* (52 balls) | Abhishek Sharma 113 (38 balls) |
| Best bowling | Kyle Jamieson 2 for 45 | Arshdeep Singh 1 for 33 |
India were 60 runs ahead of New Zealand’s pace at the end of the powerplay and 78 ahead after 10 overs. By the time India won, they had used only two-thirds of their overs.
The difference came almost entirely at the top of the order. New Zealand lost Seifert in the second over and needed a long stand to recover, while India’s first wicket did not fall until the score was 133. Of India’s 199, the two openers made 158 between them, and the other four batters who came in made 28.
Daryl Mitchell’s 89 and New Zealand’s 198
New Zealand’s innings began badly. Tim Seifert was caught by Axar Patel off Arshdeep for 2 in the second over, with the score on 4.
Finn Allen and Mitchell then put on 86 for the second wicket. Allen made 40 off 25 balls before Nitish Kumar Reddy had him caught by Naman Dhir in the ninth over. IANS reported New Zealand were 100 for 2 after 10 overs.
Phillips made 17 before Axar took a return catch to leave New Zealand 123 for 3 after 12 overs. Mitchell and Bevon Jacobs then added an unbroken 75 in 48 balls. Mitchell finished 89 not out off 52 balls with five fours and five sixes, and Jacobs made 39 not out off 23.
India’s bowlers shared the three wickets: Arshdeep 1 for 33, Axar 1 for 36 and Reddy 1 for 38, all in four overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar went for 40 without a wicket and Prince Yadav for 44. IANS said New Zealand were without fast bowlers Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson for fitness reasons, while Jamieson and Fisher returned.
How India took the series lead
This was India’s third straight win in this India vs New Zealand series. In the second match in Christchurch, India recovered from 112 for 6 as Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 51 sealed a four-wicket win, as NewsPlainly reported.
With the series won, the last two games are for pride and for chances to try other players. India’s bench for this match included Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy and Mayank Yadav, according to the scorecard.
When are the remaining India vs New Zealand T20Is?
Two matches remain, according to the published series schedule:
- 4th T20I: 30 October 2026, Eden Park, Auckland, scheduled to start at 12.30 pm IST.
- 5th T20I: 1 November 2026, Seddon Park, Hamilton, scheduled to start at 12.30 pm IST.
The 3rd T20I began at 8 pm Wellington time, which was 12.30 pm in India, according to the scorecard. The figures in this article are taken from the full scorecard of the match. The records mentioned were compiled and reported by IANS.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the IND vs NZ 3rd T20I?
India won by 6 wickets in Wellington on 27 October 2026, chasing 199 in 13.2 overs after New Zealand made 198 for 3.
How many runs did Abhishek Sharma score in the 3rd T20I?
He made 113 off 38 balls with 9 fours and 11 sixes before he was caught by Glenn Phillips off Kyle Jamieson.
Has India won the T20I series against New Zealand?
Yes. India lead the five-match series 3-0, so New Zealand cannot draw level in the two matches left.
When is the 4th T20I between India and New Zealand?
It is scheduled for 30 October 2026 at Eden Park, Auckland, starting at 12.30 pm IST.