Thanks to Suryakumar Yadav’s 111-run scorcher team India defeat New Zealand by 65 runs in the 2nd T20I of the three-match series on Sunday.

After the win, India secured a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. In the match, the Indian bowlers also put up an impressive performance with Deepak Hooda returning with four wickets.

Earlier, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Indian side was initially struggling to get going in the game after being invited to bat first by New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, but once Yadav took the charge, he kept India going till the end of the innings.  

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Yadav’s unbeaten 111 of 51 balls led India to 191/6 in 20 overs after the initial fall of wickets. For New Zealand, Tim Southee took a hat-trick in the last over while Lockie Ferguson also took two wickets. 

Apart from Suryakumar, Ishan Kishan also played a knock of 36 runs off 31 balls.

Williamson scored 61, but never threatened the Indian total. Devon Conway and Williamson added 56 for the second wicket, but the strike rate was poor. The duo fell short of launching a counter-attack, taking on Washington Sundar in the seventh over, which went for 17.

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New Zealand bundled out at 126. SKY was the easy choice for Player of the Match for his scintillating century.

Hardik Pandya, who was leading team India, said:  “Can’t get any better than this. Everyone chipped it but it was surely a special innings by Surya. We would have taken a score of 170-175. Bowlers did well and it was about being aggressive in the mindset. It doesn’t mean taking a wicket every ball, but being aggressive with the ball is important. The conditions were very wet, so credit to the bowlers. I have bowled a lot, going forward I want to see more bowling options. Not always that this will work but I want more batters to chip in with the ball.”