Abhishek Sharma smashed a 35-ball century as India chased down 199 in just 13.2 overs to beat New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20I in Wellington on Tuesday, sealing the series with two matches to spare.
Abhishek scored 113 off 36 balls, while 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi contributed 45 off 15 as the opening pair added 133 runs in just 7.1 overs. India raced to 118 without loss in the powerplay, setting a new T20I record.
India's 50 came in just 2.2 overs, equalling the fastest team fifty in a T20I where ball-by-ball data is available. They reached 100 in five overs before Abhishek brought up his fourth T20I century in 35 balls.
The left-hander reached his half-century off just 15 deliveries and dominated the opening stand, with Sooryavanshi providing equally explosive support. India eventually completed the chase with 40 balls remaining, despite late dismissals of Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson.
Earlier, Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten 89 off 52 balls and Finn Allen's 40 helped New Zealand post 198-3. Mitchell shared an unbroken 75-run fourth-wicket stand with Bevon Jacobs, who finished unbeaten on 39 off 23 deliveries.
Allen and Mitchell had put New Zealand in a strong position at 88-1 by the end of the eighth over, having struck eight sixes between them. However, India's bowlers adjusted their lengths and began to restrict the hosts.
Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissed Allen with a full, straight delivery in the ninth over, preventing the opener from clearing the long straight boundary. India's seamers subsequently maintained tighter lines and lengths, with reverse swing also helping them contain the scoring.
Mitchell reached his half-century off 26 balls but managed only 35 runs from his final 26 deliveries. His unbeaten 89, however, helped New Zealand finish just short of 200 before India's openers produced a record-breaking response.
India's victory extended their dominance over New Zealand in the series, with the visitors demonstrating a substantial advantage in powerplay scoring and boundary-hitting. They have now sealed the series with two matches remaining.