India defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20 International at Henry Stadium in Wellington on Tuesday.
Abhishek Sharma played a blistering knock of 113 runs off just 38 balls to guide India to victory.
India chased down the target of 199 runs in just 13.2 overs.
New Zealand posted 198/3 in their 20 overs, with opener Finn Allen providing the team with a solid start during the powerplay. Allen scored 40 runs off 25 balls.
Daryl Mitchell then carried the momentum forward with a brilliant knock of 89 runs off just 52 balls, striking at a rate of 171.15. Bevon Jacobs also chipped in with a valuable contribution of 39 runs off 23 deliveries.
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Arshdeep Singh was India's most economical bowler, picking up one wicket while conceding just 33 runs in his four overs at an economy rate of 8.25. Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy were the other Indian bowlers to claim a wicket each.
However, India's innings turned into an absolute carnage as the team management changed its preferred opening combination to give 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi an opportunity to showcase his talent in overseas conditions.
The teenage sensation did not disappoint, taking on New Zealand's bowling attack from the very first over. Sooryavanshi played a blistering knock of 45 runs off just 19 balls at a strike rate of 236.84.
Meanwhile, his opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, was in a completely different mood, dismantling the New Zealand bowling attack with an extraordinary display of power-hitting. Sharma smashed 11 sixes and nine fours on his way to a sensational century, reaching the milestone in just 35 balls.
It was Sharma's second-fastest century in T20 Internationals, having previously scored a 30-ball hundred against Afghanistan in Delhi in 2026.
Fastest T20I Hundreds (Full-Member Teams)
| Balls | Player | Match | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Abhishek Sharma (India) | India vs Afghanistan | Delhi | 2026 |
| 33 | Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) | Zimbabwe vs Gambia | Nairobi (Ruaraka) | 2024 |
| 33 | Finn Allen (New Zealand) | New Zealand vs South Africa | Kolkata | 2026 |
| 35 | David Miller (South Africa) | South Africa vs Bangladesh | Potchefstroom | 2017 |
| 35 | Rohit Sharma (India) | India vs Sri Lanka | Indore | 2017 |
| 35 | Abhishek Sharma (India) | India vs New Zealand | Wellington | 2026 |
With this victory, India have sealed the five-match T20I series, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead with two matches still to play.
Both teams will now travel to Auckland for the fourth T20I, which is scheduled to take place on Friday.
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