Suryakumar Yadav ranks highest for comeback before T20 World Cup:Ishan Kishan outshines Sanju Samson; Team India’s report card for T20I series vs NZ

Team India wrapped up a dominant 4-1 T20I series win over New Zealand, sending a strong message ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The hosts outplayed the Kiwis in all departments, with batters like Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and the bowling duo of Ravi Bishnoi and Jasprit Bumrah leading the charge. India crossed the 200-run mark in most matches, leaving the visitors struggling to cope with the relentless pressure on home soil. The comprehensive series victory highlights India’s growing confidence and readiness for the global event. The batting unit looked explosive and fearless, while the bowling attack, especially the spinners, consistently broke partnerships. New Zealand appeared short of answers as India controlled the tempo of the games from start to finish. However, there are still a few areas that need attention before the World Cup. Sanju Samson failed to make a strong impact as an opener, raising selection questions. Fielding efforts were decent but lacked consistency, and apart from Bumrah and Harshit Rana, the pacers were not as influential, with spinners proving more effective. Overall, India look well-prepared, but fine-tuning remains crucial ahead of the big stage. Here is a report card of some of the Indian players, rated out of 10 based on impact and consistency after the New Zealand T20I series: 1. Abhishek Sharma – 9/10 Explosive and consistent hitting India’s opener is the second-highest run-getter with 182 runs in the series for India. The left-hander has provided explosive starts to India and ended the series with a jaw-dropping strike rate of 228.23. He hit two fifties in the series, one of which came off 14 balls and was the second-fastest by an Indian in T20Is. However, despite his explosive batting, this has been a bit of a mixed series for Abhishek, who had registered a couple of ducks. 2. Sanju Samson – 3/10 Failures despite opening for India After having achieved success as an opener at the top of the order, Sanju Samson had a series to forget against New Zealand. And this series might have put his spot in India’s playing XI in the T20 World Cup in jeopardy. The right-hander managed just 46 runs in five matches, a series where the other Indian batters dominated New Zealand’s bowling attack. 3. Ishan Kishan – 9.5/10 Explosive comeback ahead of T20 World Cup After not having a central contract for two years, Ishan Kishan has made a comeback and how! The left-hander led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and earned a recall to Team India for the T20 World Cup. Ishan finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the series, with 215 runs in four matches. He also hit his maiden T20I century in the fifth and final T20I and registered a strike-rate of 233.69. 4. Suryakumar Yadav – 9.5/10 Brilliant comeback after poor form Suryakumar Yadav had questions asked on his poor form. Afterall, he did not score a T20I fifty for 468 days. But the Indian captain answered his critics in some style! The right-hander finished as the highest run-scorer of the series, hitting 242 runs in five matches with a top score of 82*. Prior to the series, he had said, “I am not out of form, I am out of runs.” And at the end of the series, he can say that he isn’t out of runs either. 5. Rinku Singh – 8/10 God’s plan, maximum use of opportunities Rinku Singh has emerged as the finisher India needed to close out their innings. The explosive southpaw has made the most of the opportunities received. Rinku has hit 91 runs in his five matches and registered a strike rate of 156.90. 6. Shivam Dube – 7.5/10 Power hitting in the middle-order Shivam Dube proved himself as the best power hitter in the middle order for Team India. His shots hit with brute force have been a highlight of his performance for India, with his 23-ball 65 in the fourth match being the standout. In 5 matches, Dube managed 117 runs with a magnificent strike-rate of 248.93. 7. Hardik Pandya – 9.5/10 Finisher with the golden arm India’s great finisher with the bat has impressed a lot after his comeback after recovering from injury. He has scored 69 runs in five matches, and he is the highest-wicket taker for India so far in the series with four wickets. 8. Harshit Rana – 7.5/10 Lack of consistency with the ball Despite getting opportunities higher up the order in the batting line-up, he failed to prove himself as an all-rounder. Though he gave major breakthroughs, he has leaked lots of runs in his overs so far in the series. 9. Ravi Bishnoi – 8/10 Great comeback, but inconsistent Star India leg-spinner bulldozed the New Zealand side in the third T20I in Guwahati, but soon in the 4th T20I at Vizag, he leaked 44 runs in his four overs. In his two matches, he bagged three wickets. 10. Varun Chakravarthy – 8/10 Tried and Tested India’s premium limited-overs format bowler, Varun Chakravarthy, has been tried and tested for the past few years. Team management decided to experiment with Ravi Bishnoi ahead of the T20 WC to confirm their combinations for the major event. He has been rested for the last 2 matches against the visitors. But he played in the last match, playing three games in total, scalping 4 wickets. 11. Kuldeep Yadav – 7/10 Sudden dip in form ahead of T20 WC All-time premium bowler for India in the white ball format has dipped in his form suddenly ahead of the T20 WC in February. So far, he has taken 4 wickets in three matches he has played, conceding 106 runs. 12. Jasprit Bumrah – 8.5/10 Legend, consistent unpredictable Fast bowling spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, is usually consistent and critical to handle in across formats, but in the last game, he has leaked several runs, which we are not used to witnessing from ‘Boom Boom’. He has taken 4 wickets, conceding 142 runs in his four matches played. 13. Arshdeep Singh – 4/10 Great pace, but out of form He bowled 16 overs in four matches, scalping eight wickets for the Indian side. However, he also leaked runs at an incredible pace, bowling at an economy of 10.50. He was able to deliver at the pace but could not restrict runs, conceding 168 runs across four games.