Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 31 (IANS) Ishan Kishan’s blistering maiden T20I century and Arshdeep Singh’s second five-wicket haul in the format powered India to a 46-run victory over New Zealand in the fifth T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium on Saturday and seal the series 4-1.

India, returning to full strength after their setback in Visakhapatnam, posted 271/5 – their third-highest total in the format. Kishan smashed 103 off 43 balls, laced with six fours and ten sixes, while captain Suryakumar Yadav added 63 in a 137-run stand that dismantled New Zealand’s attack.

Hardik Pandya chipped in with a late cameo of 42 off 17 balls as India struck 23 sixes, equalling their record for most maximums hit in a T20I innings. New Zealand’s chase was given early impetus by Finn Allen, who hammered 80 off 38 balls in his return to the side. But his dismissal stalled their momentum as New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 225 in 19.4 overs.

Arshdeep, who had conceded 40 runs in his first two overs, bounced back to claim 5-51. Spinners Axar Patel (3-33) and Varun Chakravarthy (1-36) provided crucial support in the middle overs. The win capped a dominant series for India, who made several changes in the final game but maintained control throughout. Kishan’s role behind the stumps in place of Sanju Samson also gave a hint into playing eleven plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Electing to bat first, India got off to a brisk start with Abhishek Sharma timing the ball sweetly in the opening overs and striking boundaries off Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson to race to 24 off just nine balls. But Samson’s lean run continued as he fell for just six, edging Lockie Ferguson to deep third man, leaving the home crowd stunned in silence.

Abhishek looked dangerous but was undone by Ferguson’s pace and was castled for 30 off 16 deliveries. At 48/2 in the fifth over, India needed a push, and Kishan provided just that with a counter-attacking approach. He and Suryakumar then took charge, before going for the kill. The duo dismantled Santner in the 10th over with a flurry of boundaries and sixes yielding 20 runs.

Kishan, who relentlessly peppered the leg-side with his boundaries, reached his fifty off 28 balls by punishing Ish Sodhi with a sequence of three fours and two sixes in a 29-run over. Suryakumar brought up his third fifty of the series in 27 balls while striking three sixes off Jacob Duffy in the 14th over.

Santner eventually broke the stand by having Suryakumar stumped for 63 off 30 balls. Kishan, however, continued his assault, smashing Santner for successive sixes off different lengths to reach his maiden T20I hundred in just 42 balls and was greeted by a leaping Hardik, before being finally dismissed for 103 off 43 deliveries, caught at square leg off Duffy.

Hardik applied the finishing touches with a fiery 42 off 17 balls, laced with a four and three sixes, while Shivam Dube struck the final six of the innings off the last ball, as 21 runs came off the final over in a relentless batting display for India, where Kishan may have sealed his spot in the playing eleven for next week’s opening game against USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

New Zealand were off to an eventful start as Arshdeep’s opening over produced three boundaries from Allen, even as the pacer had Tim Seifert chipping straight to midwicket. Allen, returning to the side for the first time since March 2025, continued his aggressive approach. He raced to 37 off just 14 balls, punishing Arshdeep with stand-and-deliver strokes in a 23-run third over featuring four boundaries and a six.

With Rachin Ravindra hanging around, Aleen then showcased his range against Jasprit Bumrah and Chakaravarthy, flat-batting a length ball over long-on and pulling with authority to bring up his half-century in just 22 balls. Allen dispatched Chakaravarthy and Axar for a six each as New Zealand ended the powerplay at 79 for one – their best-ever score in this phase against India in T20Is – silencing the home crowd.

Allen and Ravindra further capitalised on India’s spinners by striking sixes off Chakravarthy in the eighth over to push the score past 100. The dew factor continued to influence India’s bowlers, who largely avoided bowling fuller lengths. India finally struck back in the ninth over when Axar dismissed Allen for a blazing 80 off 38 balls.

Attempting to muscle one over the leg-side, Allen holed out to long-on, and Axar followed it up by having Glenn Phillips hole out to long-off. Arshdeep returned strongly in his second spell – removing Ravindra for 30 with a cleverly disguised knuckle-ball bouncer that took a top-edge on the hook to deep backward square leg, while Mitchell Santner could ballon a sharp short delivery to cover and fell for a duck.

Daryl Mitchell added some fireworks by driving and pulling Bumrah for a four and two sixes, as 22 runs came off the 15th over. But India continued to make breakthroughs – Bevon Jacobs was castled by a googly from Chakaravarthy, while Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell fell in quick succession to give Arshdeep his five-for.

After Axar completed his three-fer, Ish Sodhi unfurled lofty hits via a four and three sixes before being dismissed by Rinku Singh to complete an emphatic win for India exactly a week before their title defence in the mega event begins on home soil.

Brief Scores: India 271/5 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 103, Suryakumar Yadav 63; Lockie Ferguson 2-41, Jacob Duffy 1-53) beat New Zealand 225 in 19.4 overs (Finn Allen 80, Rachin Ravindra 30; Arshdeep Singh 5-51, Axar Patel 3-33) by 46 runs

–IANS

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