Shubman Gill smashes record score as India demolish New Zealand in T20 series decider
- Planet Sport writer
- 1 February 2023
Shubman Gill made the highest score by an India batter in a T20 international as New Zealand were thrashed by 168 runs in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
India's win secured a 2-1 series victory and maintained their unbeaten record at home in any format since March 2019.
Gill's 126 from 63 balls, which included 12 fours and seven sixes, was the bedrock of India's mammoth total of 234-4 after skipper Hardik Pandya had won the toss.
Virat Kohli had previously posted India's highest score in T20 internationals with an unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup.
Rahul Tripathi (44 from 22 balls) and Suryakumar Yadav (24 from 13 balls) provided useful contributions before Gill and Pandya, who made 30 from 17 deliveries, shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 103.
New Zealand, needing 11.75 runs per over for victory, made a disastrous start as Pandya and Arshdeep Singh reduced them to 7-4 in the third over.
Only Daryl Mitchell (35) and skipper Mitchell Santner (13) reached double figures as the Black Caps were dismissed for just 66 in 12.1 overs.
Pandya returned best T20 figures of 4-20, while Singh, Umran Malik and Shivam Mavi took two wickets each.
