Mitchell Santner Reacts to Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s Onslaught

Vaibhav Suryavanshi was out for 45 runs in 19 balls, including 4 fours and 4 sixes, while Abhishek Sharma made his century in just 35 balls. But soon he got out after making 113 runs in 38 balls, hitting 9 fours and 11 sixes. With the help of this explosive innings, the Indians managed to chase down the target of 199 runs in the loss of 4 wickets in 13.2 overs. After being defeated by the Indian team, the Kiwis captain Mitchell Santner appreciated the Indian batsmen.

Following the third consecutive defeat at the hands of the Indian team, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said, "When these players (Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Suryavanshi) are batting in their rhythm, it becomes very difficult to stop them. We have seen this before. We have seen it happen in the IPL. Today in New Zealand, we saw it with our own eyes."

A RECORD POWERPLAY ? Most runs in a Powerplay (for Full Member nations) 118/0 - India vs New Zealand, Wellington, 2026 113/1 - Australia vs Scotland, Edinburgh, 2024 103/1 - Zimbabwe vs Gambia, Nairobi (RSC), 2024 102/0 - South Africa vs West Indies, Centurion, 2023 100/0 - England vs South Africa, Old Trafford, 2025 100/0 - India vs Afghanistan, Delhi, 2026 — Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) October 27, 2026

Speaking about New Zealand's score, Santner said, "I think I had a bit of an oversight. We lost the toss again. But the way Daryl and Bevan Jacobs built a partnership, we were on track for 200. Obviously, 200 would have been a good score on a pitch like this. I thought they bowled very well in the last few overs. They bowled accurate yorkers and made it difficult for us to score. So, overall, we were reasonably satisfied with our performance. We knew the pitch was good for batting. But when the dew sets in, it becomes very difficult to contain the batsmen. The powerplay is crucial in this game, and they showed us how to bat in the powerplay."