New Zealand vs India, 3rd T20I, Stats Preview: Players records and approaching milestones

After the disappointment of the first T20I getting abandoned due to rain, New Zealand met with a Suryakumar Yadav storm in the second match in Mount Maunganui as they suffered the wrath of the Indian batter. Going through a purple patch in the shortest international format, Suryakumar slammed 111* off just 51 to blow the Kiwis away. The hosts lost the match by 65 runs and now enter the final game 1-0 down. The decider takes place on Tuesday, November 22, 2022, at McLean Park in Napier.

The no. one ranked T20I player Suryakumar displayed his outrageous shots once again as the Kiwi bowlers were taken to the cleaners. The 32-year-old smashed 11 fours and seven maximums as the Men in Blue reached a massive total of 191/6 in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, skipper Kane Williamson scored a half-century at a lower strike rate of just 117.31 with the BlackCaps struggling to get going and falling way short of the target. Part-timer Deepak Hooda was the pick of the Indian bowlers for his spell of 4/10.

Heading into the final game, Williamson is all set to miss the encounter due to his pre-arranged medical appointment. Experienced and veteran pacer Tim Southee will lead the Kiwis in the absence of their regular captain. Mark Chapman has been called up as he looks to replace Williamson in the XI. New Zealand, who have lost nine consecutive T20Is (bilaterals) against India, would look to win the Napier match and level the series 1-1. On the other hand, Hardik Pandya-led team India will hope for a series victory post the disappointment of the recently concluded T20 World Cup.

Meanwhile, here are some of the important stats and numbers ahead of the 3^rd T20I between New Zealand and India:

Head-to-Head: New Zealand and India have met each other in 21 T20 internationals with the Kiwis winning on nine occasions and India on 12. In New Zealand, both have clashed in 11 encounters with the home side sealing victories in four games and India in seven.

24 – Rishabh Pant (976) needs 24 runs to complete 1000 runs in T20Is.

61 – Rishabh Pant (3939) needs 61 runs to reach the landmark of 4000 runs across formats.

1 – James Neesham (49) requires one four to complete 50 fours in T20 internationals.

1 – Ish Sodhi (199) is one scalp away from completing 200 wickets in international cricket.

3 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar (37) is three scalps away from surpassing Joshua Little (39 in 2022) and becoming the bowler with the most T20I wickets in a calendar year.

17 – Glenn Phillips (662) needs 17 runs to go past Martin Guptill (678 in 2021) and become the New Zealand batter with the most runs in T20Is in a calendar year.