Wellington (New Zealand): India sealed the five-match T20 International series against New Zealand with a crushing seven-wicket victory in Wellington, overhauling 199 in just 13.1 overs after Abhishek produced a stunning unbeaten century from 35 balls on October 27.

Asked to bat first, New Zealand recovered from the early loss of Tim Seifert to reach 198 for three. Arshdeep Singh struck in the opening over, but Finn Allen and Daryl Mitchell rebuilt the innings with an aggressive 86-run stand. Mitchell remained unbeaten on 88, while Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs added late impetus.

India’s chase, however, was emphatic. Abhishek and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi raced to 118 in the Powerplay, leaving New Zealand’s bowlers with no answer. Sooryavanshi made a fluent 52 before Matthew Fisher claimed his maiden T20I wicket, but Abhishek continued relentlessly.

The left-hander reached fifty in only 15 balls and completed his fourth T20I century from 35 deliveries, surviving a difficult drop by Glenn Phillips at deep mid-wicket. Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson fell in quick succession, yet Tilak Varma stayed with Abhishek as India completed the chase with 41 balls to spare.

Abhishek’s match-winning hundred, laced with power and precision, made him the obvious choice for Player of the Match. The result gave India a 3-0 lead in the series and extended their dominance over New Zealand in bilateral T20 cricket.