Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma showed no mercy to the New Zealand bowlers as India chased down 199 in the third T20I at Wellington’s Sky Stadium on Tuesday (October 27). The left-handed opening duo went on a boundary-hitting spree from the very first ball, plundering 118 runs in six overs, setting the highest Powerplay score ever in T20Is.
Abhishek raced to a half-century off just 15 balls, while Sooryavanshi matched him stroke for stroke, sending the crowd into frenzy with a breathtaking display of power-hitting.
Sooryavanshi kick-started India's chase with a boundary over mid-on off Jacob Duffy. The Indian openers then smashed a six each, plundering 26 runs in the first over, making it the most expensive opening over conceded by a full-member team in T20Is. New Zealand matched a feat previously registered by Malta, when Varun Thamotharam conceded 26 runs against Gibraltar in May 2023.
Fastest Team 50s in T20Is (by overs)
| Overs | Team | Opposition | Venue | Year |
| 2.2 | India | New Zealand | Wellington | 2026 |
| 2.4 | New Zealand | Scotland | The Oval | 2009 |
| 2.4 | New Zealand | England | Auckland | 2019 |
| 2.4 | South Africa | West Indies | Centurion | 2023 |
India completed 50 runs in just the third over, registering the fastest team fifty by a full-member nation in the shortest format. As if that wasn't enough, Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi rewrote the record books with a staggering 118/0 in the Powerplay, helping India surpass their previous best of 100/0 against Afghanistan in New Delhi.
Highest Powerplay Score in T20Is
| Runs | Team | Opposition | Venue | Year |
| 118/0 | India | New Zealand | Wellington | 2026 |
| 116/0 | Romania | Serbia | Sofia | 2021 |
| 113/1 | Australia | Scotland | Edinburgh | 2024 |
| 103/1 | Zimbabwe | Gambia | Nairobi (RSC) | 2024 |
| 102/0 | South Africa | West Indies | Centurion | 2023 |
| 100/0 | England | South Africa | Old Trafford | 2025 |
| 100/0 | India | Afghanistan | Delhi | 2026 |
Earlier, Daryl Mitchell roared back to form with a 52-ball 89 as New Zealand posted 198/3 against India in the third T20I amid cold and windy conditions on Tuesday. Finn Allen contributed 40 off 25 balls, adding 86 runs with Mitchell for the second wicket.
Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissed Allen, while Axar Patel removed Glenn Phillips for 17. Mitchell and Bevon Jacobs, who remained unbeaten on 39 off 23 balls, stitched together a 75-run stand for the fourth wicket. Arshdeep Singh claimed one wicket as India conceded just 52 runs in the final five overs.
