India made a big piece of history in Wellington on Tuesday. They were chasing 199 against in the third India vs New Zealand T20I at Hagley Oval. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma opened the innings. Sooryavanshi made 45 off 19 balls. Abhishek made 113 off 38 balls. The two put on 133 runs for the first wicket in 7.1 overs.
India got to 53 without loss in just 2.2 overs. They reached 100 in only 5 overs. That gave them the fastest team 100 in T20I history. The old best was Romania’s 5.2 overs against Serbia in Sofia in 2021. South Africa had also reached 100 in 5.3 overs against the West Indies. Australia did it in 5.3 overs against Scotland.
India’s fast start also tied a world record. Their 53/0 in 2.2 overs matched the fastest team 50 in T20Is. Papua New Guinea did it against Vanuatu in 2019. India’s powerplay score of 118/0 was the highest in men’s T20Is. England and India both had 100/0 in other games.
Abhishek’s century came off just 35 balls. He hit nine fours and 11 sixes. It was the joint second-fastest T20I hundred by an Indian. He also holds the fastest T20I century by an Indian. He did that in 30 balls against Afghanistan in Delhi on September 17, 2026.
Arshdeep Singh also hit a milestone in the same match. It was his 102nd T20I. He took his first wicket in the second over of New Zealand’s innings. That gave him 39 wickets in 30 T20Is in 2026. He tied Ireland’s Josh Little for the most T20I wickets in a calendar year by a player from a top-level cricket nation.
Arshdeep’s best figures this year are 5/51, with one five-wicket haul. His total T20I wickets are now 149. He is one away from becoming the first Indian to reach 150. The all-time record for most T20I wickets in a calendar year belongs to Bahrain’s Ali Dawood. He took 63 in 37 matches in 2025.
Abhishek Sharma Smashes 113 Off 38 Balls as India Crush New Zealand and Seal T20I Series in Wellington
Abhishek Sharma put on a show in the third India vs New Zealand T20I in Wellington. He smashed 113 off just 38 balls. That was his fourth T20I hundred. He and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opened the innings. Sooryavanshi made 45 off 19. The two put on 133 runs in 7.1 overs. New Zealand had made 198. India chased it down easily. They sealed the series with two games left.
Abhishek nearly broke his own record for the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian. He had done it in 30 balls before. This time he reached his century in 35 balls. He celebrated with a clenched fist and a roar. Then he sat down in a calm, meditative pose. His strike rate was a huge 297.37. Abhishek took 15 balls for his fifty. That made the rest of the chase very simple. When the opening stand finally ended, India needed 66 off 77 balls. They got there with 40 balls to spare.
The match felt like a repeat of an earlier one-sided game at home this year. India changed their opening pair. They brought in Sooryavanshi in place of Sanju Samson. The teenager proved the call right right away. He drove Jacob Duffy over mid-on for four. Abhishek then stepped back to his first ball and hit it over the ropes. It was the eighth time he has hit his first ball in a T20I for six.
For a short time, the game looked closer than the scoreboard showed. India were still on top after Shreyas Iyer won a third straight toss. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh bowled two tight overs to start. Arshdeep got Tim Seifert out in almost the same way as in Christchurch. Daryl Mitchell and Finn Allen kept attacking. Mitchell made a career-best 89 not out off 52 balls. He hit five sixes and five fours.
FAQs
Q. How quickly did India reach 100 runs against New Zealand?
A. India reached 100 runs in just five overs.
Q. Who scored a century in the third India vs New Zealand T20I?
A. Abhishek Sharma scored 113 runs off 38 balls.
Q. What was India’s powerplay score against New Zealand?
A. India scored 118 runs without losing a wicket in the powerplay.
Q. How many runs did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi score in the match?
A. Sooryavanshi scored 45 runs off 19 balls.
Q. How many T20I wickets did Arshdeep Singh take in 2026?
A. Arshdeep took 39 T20I wickets in 2026, according to the provided report.
Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.
