Abhishek Sharma’s 14-Ball Blitz Seals T20 Series for India: Black Caps Crushed in Guwahati

By Lions Roar Sports Desk

GUWAHATI, INDIA (Monday, January 26, 2026) — India has secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20 series after a brutal batting display by opener Abhishek Sharma, who decimated the New Zealand bowling attack in Guwahati overnight. India chased down 154 in just 10 overs, winning by eight wickets with half the innings still to spare.

The star of the night was Sharma, who blasted an unbeaten 68 off just 20 balls, including a half-century reached in a mere 14 deliveries—the second-fastest T20 fifty in Indian men’s cricket history.

🏏 The Chase: Pure Carnage in 10 Overs

Chasing a target of 154, India’s pursuit got off to a rocky start when Sanju Samson fell for a golden duck to Matt Henry. However, the early setback only served to ignite an explosion of boundaries.

Sharma’s Powerplay: Abhishek Sharma hit five sixes and seven fours, reaching his 50 in 14 balls.
The Partnership: Sharma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (57* off 26 balls) shared a devastating 102-run stand off just 40 deliveries.
Rapid Century: India reached the 100-run mark in just 6.3 overs, leaving the Black Caps’ bowlers with nowhere to hide.
Support Act: Ishan Kishan contributed a quickfire 28 off 13 balls to keep the momentum surging early on.

📉 New Zealand Struggles: Bumrah’s Lethal Return

Earlier, after being put into bat, the Black Caps were strangled by a disciplined Indian bowling unit led by the returning Jasprit Bumrah.

The Breakthroughs: Bumrah (3-17) and Harshit Rana removed the openers early, leaving New Zealand reeling at 34-3 within the powerplay.
Mid-Innings Resistance: Glenn Phillips (48 off 40) and Mark Chapman (32) attempted a recovery with a 52-run partnership, but both fell to the wrist-spin of Ravi Bishnoi (2-18).
Final Toll: New Zealand finished on a sub-par 153-9, a total that proved to be vastly inadequate on a true Guwahati surface.

📊 Match Summary: 3rd T20 (Guwahati)

Metric	New Zealand	India
Total Score	153-9 (20 Overs)	155-2 (10 Overs)
Top Scorer	Glenn Phillips (48)	Abhishek Sharma (68)*
Best Bowler	Ish Sodhi (1-25)	Jasprit Bumrah (3-17)
Result	–	India won by 8 wickets

🏆 Series Status: 3-0 to India

With this victory, India has officially sealed the bilateral series with two games left to play.

Match 1 (Nagpur): India won by 48 runs.
Match 2 (Raipur): India won by 7 wickets.
Match 3 (Guwahati): India won by 8 wickets.