India reached 100 in five overs against New Zealand in the third T20I at Hnry Stadium, Wellington, on 27 October 2026. That is the second-fastest team hundred in men’s T20Is, behind Eswatini’s 4.5 overs against Mozambique earlier this year.
It is the fastest by any full-member nation. South Africa and Australia held that mark at 5.3 overs. India’s own previous best came against Afghanistan in Delhi in September, when they reached 100 off the last ball of the powerplay.
The scorecard shows two big hitters. What it hides is why two left-handers batting together left New Zealand with no field that worked.
Chasing 199, Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took 26 off Jacob Duffy’s first over. India reached 50 in 2.2 overs, level with Papua New Guinea and Romania for the fastest team fifty in men’s T20Is.
India were 64/0 after three overs. The fourth and fifth overs went for 20 and 16, bringing up the hundred.
Another 18 in the sixth made it 118/0. That is the highest powerplay score in men’s T20Is, beating Romania’s 116 against Serbia in 2021.
Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi unleashed a batting blitz to register the highest powerplay total in Men’s T20Is 🚀
Read more 👉 https://t.co/NydgwuL9nY https://t.co/7S4WeUaqtt
— ICC (@ICC) October 27, 2026
Sooryavanshi was only out there because of a late change. Sanju Samson dropped to No. 3, six days after captain Shreyas Iyer said publicly that the 15-year-old could not walk straight into the side. Sooryavanshi made 45 off 19, and the pair added 133 off 43 balls.
“100 in 5 overs, I have never seen that before especially at the international level.”
Shreyas Iyer, post-match presentation, 27 October 2026
Abhishek, the Player of the Match, said the plan came from reading the ground’s dimensions while India were fielding.
“It was just me and Vaibhav, just going to enjoy there for a bit.”
Abhishek Sharma, post-match presentation, 27 October 2026
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Two left-handers take away a bowler’s easiest reset. Against a left-right pair, every single forces a new line and often a new field, and that shuffle alone breaks a batter’s rhythm. Against Abhishek and Sooryavanshi, New Zealand bowled to the same arc for six overs, so any length that was wrong for one was wrong for both.
Santner tried Bracewell’s spin against the pair, to turn the ball away from both bats. On a ground with short square boundaries, a set left-hander simply aims square, and even a mistimed hit carries. The field was set to stop one batter, and the man at the other end needed exactly the same field.
Fastest Team 100s in Men’s T20Is
| Overs | Team | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 | Eswatini | Mozambique | Malkerns | 2026 |
| 5.0 | India | New Zealand | Wellington | 2026 |
| 5.2 | Romania | Serbia | Sofia | 2021 |
| 5.3 | South Africa | West Indies | Centurion | 2023 |
| 5.3 | Australia | Scotland | Edinburgh | 2024 |
| 5.5 | Zimbabwe | Gambia | Nairobi | 2024 |
| 5.5 | England | South Africa | Old Trafford | 2025 |
Abhishek went on to 113 off 38 balls, reaching his hundred in 35. New Zealand’s 198/3, built on Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 89, was chased down in 13.2 overs with six wickets in hand.
The win gives India an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. The fourth T20I is in Auckland on Friday, 30 October.
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