Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 31 (NationPress) In a thrilling encounter, Ishan Kishan achieved his first T20I century, and Arshdeep Singh recorded his second five-wicket haul, guiding India to a remarkable 46-run triumph against New Zealand in the fifth T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium on Saturday. This victory secured the series 4-1 for India.

Recovering from their previous setback in Visakhapatnam, India set a formidable score of 271/5, marking their third-highest total in T20I history. Kishan's explosive innings of 103 runs off just 43 balls included six fours and ten sixes, while captain Suryakumar Yadav contributed 63 runs in a significant 137-run partnership that dismantled New Zealand's bowling attack.

Hardik Pandya provided a late surge with a quickfire 42 off 17 balls as India equaled their record with 23 sixes in a single T20I innings. New Zealand’s chase began with promise from Finn Allen, who scored 80 off 38 balls upon his return to the team. However, his dismissal halted their progress, and they were eventually bowled out for 225 in 19.4 overs.

Arshdeep, who had a shaky start with 40 runs in his first two overs, came back strong to finish with figures of 5-51. Spinners Axar Patel (3-33) and Varun Chakravarthy (1-36) played crucial roles during the middle overs. This win completed a dominant series for India, who made several changes for the final match but maintained their grip on the game. Kishan’s performance behind the stumps, replacing Sanju Samson, also hinted at potential plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Choosing to bat first, India started aggressively, with Abhishek Sharma finding his rhythm early, racing to 24 runs off just nine balls. Unfortunately, Samson's struggles continued as he could only muster six runs, edging a delivery from Lockie Ferguson to deep third man, leaving the crowd in disbelief.

Despite looking threatening, Abhishek fell victim to Ferguson's pace, bowled out for 30 runs off 16 deliveries. At 48/2 in the fifth over, India required a boost, which Kishan readily provided with his aggressive style. He and Suryakumar took control, attacking Mitchell Santner in the 10th over for 20 runs.

Kishan reached his half-century off just 28 balls, punishing Ish Sodhi with a barrage of boundaries. Suryakumar also brought up his third fifty of the series in 27 balls, including three sixes off Jacob Duffy in the 14th over.

Santner finally broke the partnership by stumping Suryakumar for 63 runs off 30 balls. However, Kishan continued his onslaught, hitting Santner for consecutive sixes to bring up his maiden T20I century in just 42 balls before being dismissed for 103 runs off 43 balls.

Hardik finished the innings with an explosive 42 off 17 balls, complemented by a four and three sixes, while Shivam Dube capped off the innings with a six on the last ball, amassing 21 runs in the final over in a stunning display of batting, potentially securing Kishan’s place in the starting eleven for the upcoming match against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

New Zealand's innings began with excitement as Arshdeep’s opening over saw Allen striking three boundaries, although the pacer managed to dismiss Tim Seifert. Allen, returning to the squad for the first time since March 2025, continued to attack. He reached 37 runs off just 14 balls, punishing Arshdeep with powerful shots.

With Rachin Ravindra supporting him, Allen showcased his skill against Jasprit Bumrah and Chakravarthy, hitting a six and finishing the powerplay at 79 for one, their highest score in this phase against India in T20Is, silencing the home crowd.

After a strong start, India struck back in the ninth over as Axar dismissed Allen for a spectacular 80 runs off 38 balls. Following that, Arshdeep made a comeback in his second spell, taking Ravindra's wicket for 30 and dismissing Mitchell Santner for a duck.

Daryl Mitchell added some fireworks with 22 runs in the 15th over. However, India maintained the pressure, with Chakravarthy’s googly claiming Bevon Jacobs and further wickets from Arshdeep to complete his five-wicket haul.

After Axar's impressive spell, Ish Sodhi managed a few big hits before being dismissed by Rinku Singh, sealing a commanding victory for India just a week ahead of their title defense in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

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.