In a display of white-ball dominance, Ishan Kishan turned the 5th T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium into a personal highlight reel, shattering New Zealand’s spirits with a maiden T20I century that was as brutal as it was surgical.
New Zealand shocked as Ishan Kishan scored his first T20 century
Returning to the eleven after a brief injury, the left-handed batsman created absolute havoc, reaching his 100 in just 42 balls – which is the fastest T20I century ever scored by an Indian against the Black Caps. Kishan’s innings of 103 off 43 balls was a masterclass in modern-day power hitting, including 10 skyscraper sixes that crossed the boundaries with ease, including Ish Sodhi’s 12th over, which yielded 29 runs. He was particularly critical of Ish Sodhi’s spin and Kyle Jamieson’s pace, at one point hitting three consecutive sixes to bring the Thiruvananthapuram crowd to its feet.
This historic innings makes Kishan only the second Indian after Rohit Sharma to achieve the rare “double” of both an ODI double century and a T20I century to his name. Maintaining a staggering strike rate of 239.53, Kishan didn’t just play match-defining innings; He effectively staked his claim as India’s first-choice opening batsman for the 2026 World Cup.
Blasting inning of 137 runs: Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav destroyed the Kiwi team in the 5th T20I
The backbone of India’s huge score was a disastrous 137-run partnership for the third wicket, where Ishan Kishan got the perfect tactical failure as did captain Suryakumar Yadav. Uniting at a troubled score of 48/2 after the early dismissal of Sanju Samson, the duo destroyed Mitchell Santner’s bowling plans through a mix of calculated risks and audacious strokeplay. While Suryakumar played the anchor-aggressive role by scoring a quickfire 63 off 30 balls, his presence allowed Kishan to go into “full-throttle” mode from the other end.
Their chemistry was evident as they manipulated the field with ease, converting even good length deliveries into boundary opportunities. The partnership, clocking in at over 14 runs an over at a blistering pace, not only took India past 200 in record time, but also highlighted the immense depth of the middle order, which was further bolstered by a late cameo from Hardik Pandya.
Ishan found an ideal ally in captain Suryakumar Yadav, who played a strong supporting role by scoring 63 runs in 30 balls. The duo put on a devastating partnership of 137 runs for the third wicket, taking India from a paltry score of 48/2 to a position of complete dominance. The carnage was then completed by Hardik Pandya, whose 17-ball 42 ensured that New Zealand’s bowlers – notably Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson – finished with an individual economy of over 13.
Here’s how fans reacted:
This is not just an innings of Ishan, it is a statement.
my god🔥🔥 #INDvsNZ
– Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) 31 January 2026
Ishaan Kishan is cooking at the right time. The universe finds a way, man.
– Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) 31 January 2026
Ishaan Kishan shows the strength of not giving up, training hard and believing in one’s own strength. He never changed his style and it paid off. What a timely comeback… just a week before the World T20.
– Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) 31 January 2026
