Shillong: India set a new global benchmark for T20 cricket on Tuesday. They hammered 118 runs without losing a wicket during the first six overs at Sky Stadium in Wellington. This performance stands as the highest powerplay total in men’s T20 international history. It surpassed the previous record of 116 set by Romania against Serbia in 2021.
Abhishek Sharma and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi led the charge during the pursuit of a 199-run target. By the end of the powerplay, Abhishek sat at 57 runs from 20 balls while Sooryavanshi held 44 runs from 17. The pair dismantled the New Zealand bowling attack with unrelenting boundaries. Their output effectively pushed India past other high marks, including Australia’s 113 against Scotland and South Africa’s 102 against the West Indies.
The team reached 50 runs in only 2.2 overs, tying a record held by Papua New Guinea and Romania. They hit the 100-run mark in five overs. Only Eswatini reached that milestone faster, doing so in 4.5 overs against Mozambique earlier in 2026. This performance marks India as the fastest full-member nation to score 100 runs in this format.
The team’s display proved that modern cricket scoring potential is evolving rapidly. Analysts noted that the effort "underlined the extraordinary scoring potential of modern T20 cricket, with India setting a new benchmark for Powerplay aggression on the international stage." The win signals a major shift in how teams approach the opening stages of a match.
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