Arshdeep Singh overtakes Bhubneshwar Kumar, setting a record for most T20I wickets in a calendar year

In the second T20 match held at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, the performance of experienced Indian fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar proved mixed. He achieved a historic milestone by taking his first international wicket after a long hiatus of about four years, or 1434 days.

However, his bowling spin proved quite expensive. The New Zealand players actively scored runs against him, spending 50 runs in four overs. Following this performance, fans shared various opinions on social media.

During the match, Bhuvneshwar Kumar achieved significant success by dismissing New Zealander batsman Daryl Mitchell (6 runs). Mitchell was caught by a well-placed ball from Kumar; upon attempting to hit it, the ball deflected off the edge of the bat and flew into the air towards the cover point, where young batsman Tilak Verma easily caught it, sending the player to the stands.

This wicket ended a long wait for Bhuvneshwar, as his previous international wicket was taken on November 20, 2022, against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui. After such a long absence, fans expected a stronger performance from Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Before the break, New Zealand had scored 180 runs, losing 5 batsmen. Arshdeep Singh was the top bowler with figures of 2/33. According to a BCCI report dated October 24, 2026, New Zealand scored 180 runs.

In the first innings of the match, the New Zealand team, batting first, managed to score a respectable total of 180 runs while losing five batsmen in 20 overs. During this game, Glenn Phillips demonstrated excellent play, scoring 70 runs, and Bowen Jacob also made a significant contribution by scoring 58 runs.

In the Indian team, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took one wicket, conceding 50 runs in 4 overs. Despite this costly spin, his comeback sparked much discussion among fans. For India, Arshdeep Singh took the most wickets, securing two catches.

Indian batsman Abhishek Sharma achieved a historic feat during the T20 series match against New Zealand on Thursday (October 22). The game was played at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, where the team was aiming for 226 runs.

Sharma hit a six off the very first delivery, becoming the player who most frequently hits sixes off the first ball in T20 Internationals. The quick attack began when New Zealand's fast bowler Matt Henry bowled a full and wide delivery at the end of the first over. Sharma masterfully executed a cover drive, sending the ball over the boundary.

This success marked his seventh instance of hitting a six off the first ball in T20 Internationals. Previously, this record belonged to Afghan player Shafiqullah Shinwari, who had done it six times. Abhishek Sharma surpassed him in this regard. Suryakumar Yadav is also listed among the leaders, holding third place with five such sixes.

After hitting the six, Sharma continued to aggressively attack the New Zealand bowlers without wasting much time. In the fourth over against Edmead Milne, he scored two fours and two sixes. However, in the sixth over, he lost his wicket while attempting a powerful shot against Michael Bresshaw. Edmead Milne, positioned at short third man, caught him.

Abhishek Sharma scored 29 runs off 12 balls, including three fours and three sixes, with an average strike rate of 241.67. Together with Sanju Samson, he provided incredible momentum to the Indian team, scoring 93 runs in the first 35 balls of the first batting wicket. When Sharma was dismissed, India's score was 93 runs for one wicket after 5.5 overs.

During the fourth T20 match between India and West Indies, held on October 14 at the Uppal Stadium in Hyderabad, the Indian team achieved a significant result. By becoming part of the club of teams that have surpassed the 2000 sixes barrier in T20 International Cricket, India secured the second spot in the world for this statistic.

The 2000th six for India was hit by batsman Sanju Samson. He managed to strike an impressive shot in the third ball of Roston Chase's over. In this match, India demonstrated an aggressive pace, scoring half a century.

This major milestone was reached by the Indian team in their 297th T20 match. The West Indies team leads this ranking, having accumulated 2026 sixes in 259 matches. Among the top five teams are also New Zealand (1585), Pakistan (1507), and South Africa (1407).

In the same match, Sanju Samson became the sixth Indian batsman to reach the mark of 100 sixes in T20 International Cricket. He finished his innings with 102 sixes. This exclusive club includes stars such as Rohit Sharma (205), Suryakumar Yadav (179), Abhishek Sharma (141*), Hardik Pandya (126), and Virat Kohli (124).

Chasing the impressive target of 247 runs set by West Indies, Samson started the game very aggressively, scoring 56 runs in just 22 balls, using 4 fours and 4 sixes. However, in this match, captain Shreyas Iyer, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan were unable to impress with their batting.