Guwahati, Jan 25 (NationPress) With a strong sense of confidence after achieving a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, India is set to clinch the series against New Zealand in the third T20I at the ACA Stadium, Barsapara, this Sunday. India made headlines in the second T20I at Raipur, where they accomplished a remarkable chase of 208 runs in just 15.2 overs, showcasing their dominance in the series and their momentum leading up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

This chase marks the second-highest successful pursuit in India’s T20I history, surpassed only by their 211/4 against Sri Lanka in Mohali back in 2009. The Raipur achievement also outshines previous chases of 209/4 against West Indies (Hyderabad, 2019), 209/8 against Australia (Vizag, 2023), and 204/4 against New Zealand (Auckland, 2020).

The emphatic victory also stands as the largest win by balls remaining for a full member nation while chasing a target over 200, overtaking Pakistan’s 24-ball triumph against New Zealand in Auckland 2025, as well as Australia’s 23-ball victory over West Indies in Basseterre that same year.

Initially, New Zealand found it hard to settle, but Rachin Ravindra's quickfire 44 off 26 balls helped stabilize their innings. The Indian bowlers performed well collectively, with Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Hardik Pandya, and Shivam Dube taking one wicket each, while Kuldeep Yadav excelled with two important wickets.

In the latter part of the innings, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner's unbeaten 47 off 27 balls led the visitors to a total of 208 for 6.

Despite early losses of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, India swiftly turned the game in their favor. Ishan Kishan's explosive 76 runs and Captain Suryakumar Yadav's stellar 82 not out off 37 balls guided India to a seven-wicket win.

The Barsapara Cricket Stadium has seen seven T20I matches, with three victories for teams batting first, three for those bowling first, and one match resulting in a tie. The average first-innings score here is 161, while teams batting second average 153. The highest score recorded at this venue is 237 for 3 by India against South Africa, while the lowest is 118 all out by India against Australia.

Dew is expected to be a significant factor in the match, influencing the outcome, especially for the bowling team as it settles in the Guwahati night. The winning team of the toss is likely to opt for bowling first.

Kuldeep Yadav is just eight wickets shy of reaching a milestone of 100 T20I wickets. Meanwhile, Glenn Phillips is also nearing a significant fielding achievement, being only four catches away from 150 T20 catches.

Rinku Singh is merely 59 runs away from achieving 3,500 T20 runs, highlighting his growing influence in the format.

As the series progresses, India is eager to maintain the confidence gained from previous matches. The coaching staff is expected to keep the playing XI unchanged as they aim for a 3-0 lead.

New Zealand, on the other hand, seeks to recover from their poor start, aiming for a more robust bowling performance and improved consistency in batting to challenge India's aggressive play.

When: Sunday, Jan 25, 7:00 PM IST

Where: Baraspara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati

Where to Watch: Star Sports Network for live TV broadcast and JioHotstar for live streaming.

Squads:

India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravi Bishnoi

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi.