IND vs NZ 3rd T20I 2026 result, highlights and scorecard as Abhishek Sharma steals the show with a blistering ton

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I 2026 result, highlights and scorecard as Abhishek Sharma steals the show with a blistering ton originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

• Venue: Sky Stadium, Wellington

• Captains: Mitchell Santner (New Zealand), Shreyas Iyer (India)

• Toss result: India opted to bowl first.

• Live Telecast: Sony Sports Network and SonyLIV (India), Sky Sport (New Zealand)

• Umpires and match officials: Chris Brown, Cory Black (on-field umpires), Shaun Haig (TV umpire), Kim Cotton (reserve umpire), and Ranjan Madugalle (match referee)

• Match result: India won by six wickets

• Player of the Match: Abhishek Sharma (113 off 38 balls)

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FOLLOW LIVE:Ball-by-ball updates of the match

Follow along with the latest live scorecard here as the match unfolds, or click here for key text commentary updates from the action.

Welcome to CricketNews.com’s live coverage of the third T20I between New Zealand and India at Sky Stadium in Wellington.

India batting updates

India have won the match by six wickets and 40 balls to spare. Abhishek was the star of the show with his 38-ball 113 run innings. 

After six overs, IND are 178/2

• Matthew Fisher struck in the eighth over to break the blistering 133-run opening stand, having Vaibhav Sooryavanshi caught by Daryl Mitchell for a sparkling 45 off 19 deliveries.

• Abhishek Sharma brought up a sensational century in quick time and kept motoring, hammering 113 off just 38 balls with 9 fours and 11 sixes to bring India to the doorstep of victory.

• Kyle Jamieson ended the masterclass on the final delivery of the 10th over, inducing a miscued slower ball that Glenn Phillips pouched at deep mid-wicket with the scoreboard reading 178/2.

After six overs, IND are 118/0

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• Abhishek Sharma unleashed a blistering assault to blast an unbeaten 67 off just 20 deliveries, smashing 7 fours and 6 sixes at a strike rate of 335.00.  

• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi matched the intensity from the other end, racing to 44 off 17 balls with 4 boundaries and 4 maximums to completely dismantle the new ball.  

• The Indian openers tore into New Zealand’s attack to plunder 118 runs inside the Powerplay, with Jacob Duffy conceding 44 runs in his two overs.  

• The record-breaking start left India requiring just 81 runs from 84 balls at an asking rate of 5.78, with a current run rate at an astronomical 19.66.  

New Zealand Batting Updates

After 20 overs, NZ are 198/3

• Daryl Mitchell finished unbeaten on 89 off 52 balls with 5 fours and 5 sixes to anchor the innings.

• Bevon Jacobs provided crucial late acceleration, as he fired an unbeaten 39 off 23 deliveries with 4 boundaries and a maximum.

• Mitchell and Jacobs combined for an unbroken 75-run fourth-wicket partnership, plundering 42 runs across the final four overs to deny India any late breakthroughs.

After 16 overs, NZ are 156/3

• Axar Patel struck in the 12th over to remove Glenn Phillips for 17, as he took a sharp return catch off his own bowling to break a 33-run stand at 123/3.

• Daryl Mitchell brought up a commanding half-century and continued his assault, racing to 70 off 40 balls with 5 fours and 4 sixes to anchor the innings.

• Bevon Jacobs provided brisk support with 18 off 11 balls, finding the boundary twice to maintain New Zealand’s scoring rate.

• The pair collected 10 runs off Prince Yadav’s third over to cap the 16th over, taking New Zealand to 156/3 and setting up a potent platform for the death overs.

After 10 overs, NZ are 100/2

• Daryl Mitchell maintained New Zealand’s scoring momentum right after the Powerplay, clearing the ropes twice to race into the 40s alongside Finn Allen.  

• Prince Yadav leaked 16 runs in his second over, as Mitchell and Allen punished loose lengths to accelerate the scoring rate past 10 an over.  

• Nitish Kumar Reddy struck in his very first over to break an 86-run partnership, having Allen caught by Naman Dhir for 40 to bring India some relief at 90/2.  

• Glenn Phillips joined Mitchell to negotiate Axar Patel’s tidy 10th over, taking New Zealand to a solid 100/2 at the halfway mark with a run rate of exactly 10.00. 

After six overs, NZ are 58/1

• Arshdeep Singh struck in his opening over, to remove Tim Seifert for just 2 after Axar Patel swallowed a straightforward catch at 4/1.

• Daryl Mitchell raced to 24 off 14 deliveries, as he found the boundary with 3 fours and a six. The pair targeted Arshdeep’s third over to collect 14 runs, and cemented an unbroken 54-run partnership. 

India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to field first.

India are one win away from taking the T20I series against New Zealand, and they arrive in Wellington with two Christchurch victories behind them and plenty of reasons to feel confident. The conditions in the capital look likely to suit them again, while the hosts have fewer options than they’d like.

The side batting second won both matches in Christchurch, and India chased under the lights each time. The 8 pm starts and the heavy dew made the ball slippery for bowlers.

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The Blackcaps now reach Wellington missing two key seamers. Matt Henry has been rested for the remaining games, and Lockie Ferguson misses this particular contest.

India’s batting order also contains a man who rarely lets a chase slip away. Tilak Varma has finished 26 T20 chases, and he hasn’t been on the losing side in any of them, which makes him an ideal player to have at the crease when the target is getting closer. The shorter boundaries at the Wellington ground should make life easier for India’s big hitters too.

The latest win probability for this match is below, or you can check out the latest match momentum with our Manhattan graphic here

• New Zealand vs India 3rd T20I prediction, lineups and Henry Stadium pitch report — who will win?

• ‘Same quality’: Raina compares Tilak-Nitish partnership in 2nd T20I to Dhoni-Yuvi knocks

• Retirement U-turn? Rohit Sharma hints at possible T20I return for India

• IND vs NZ 3rd T20I: Predicted XI, Ishan Kishan injury update

• Most runs as T20I captain in a calendar year: Rohit’s record in sight for Iyer

• ‘I’ve heard’: Rohit shares puzzling response to India retirement rumours

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New Zealand XI: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matthew Fisher, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy

India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh

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