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New Delhi: Ishan Kishan smashed his maiden T20I hundred as India defeated New Zealand by 46 runs in the fifth T20I in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, January 31. The Men in Blue won the five-match series 4-1.
The left-handed batter struck 103 runs off 43 balls with the help of 10 maximums and six boundaries. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav also registered his third fifty of the series, smashing 63 runs off 30 balls. Hardik Pandya played a brilliant cameo in the end, hitting 42 runs off 17 balls as the hosts set a 271-run target for the Kiwis.
In response, the visitors bowled out for 225 runs in 19.4 overs. Finn Allen played a sensational knock, smashing 80 runs off 38 balls with the help of eight boundaries and six maximums. But the other Kiwi batters failed to deliver big performances as New Zealand fell 46 runs short of the target.
Ishan Kishan, who replaced Shubman Gill in the squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup and New Zealand series, has delivered an impactful performance in the five-match series. He scored 215 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 231.18, smashing one century and a fifty.
After winning the Player of the match award, Kishan talked about his knock in the final T20I against New Zealand, and said that his focus is on winning the match for the team.
"I think that’s the mindset of everyone in our team now. Even if you’re close to a milestone, it doesn’t really matter. If you start taking singles at that stage, you might feel later that you missed an opportunity to go big. So if the ball is there to hit, you have to go for it. The focus is on winning matches, not personal milestones," Kishan said in the post-match presentation.
The left-hander batter further added that he has done well, but still needs to improve, and his focus is completely on the T20 World Cup.
"I still feel I’m not there yet. Yes, I’ve done well and I’m getting these awards, but my focus is firmly on the World Cup. That’s where the extra effort is needed. What’s important is carrying this form forward and continuing to contribute there," he added.
The Men in Blue will take on South Africa in the T20 World Cup warm-up match on February 4, before opening their tournament campaign against the USA in Mumbai on February 7.
