- “He failed a bit in this series” – Hanuma Vihari on Shreyas Iyer after India’s win in the T20I series against New Zealand Hanuma Vihari rated Shreyas Iyer’s accuracy and batting performance after India beat New Zealand 3-2 in a five-match T20I series.
- (Source: SonyLIV) On November 1, 2026, India secured a 3-2 win in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in Hamilton.
- The competition began on October 22 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch with Shreyas Iyer leading the Indian team.
“He failed a bit in this series” – Hanuma Vihari on Shreyas Iyer after India’s win in the T20I series against New Zealand Hanuma Vihari rated Shreyas Iyer’s accuracy and batting performance after India beat New Zealand 3-2 in a five-match T20I series.
(Source: SonyLIV) On November 1, 2026, India secured a 3-2 win in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in Hamilton. The competition began on October 22 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch with Shreyas Iyer leading the Indian team. Hanuma Vihari gave his assessment of the series and performances of key players, acknowledged the contributions of Ishan Kishan and Iyer and also pointed out that the group underperformed expectations.
Vihari acknowledged the dual challenge of mastering and maintaining batting quality throughout the competition. “I think Ishan Kishan deserves recognition. He needed that knock.
The last few games it was like he wasn’t himself. But he scored a good half-century,” Vihari said in a video on his YouTube channel. “Shreyas Iyer also scored an incredible half-century.
Good knock from the ctain. I think he was a bit of a cast member on that show. He was good as a ctain but also brilliant as a batsman,” he added, quoted by YouTube.
Iyer demonstrated his aggressive intent in the final game in Hamilton, scoring an unbeaten 50 from 23 deliveries. During the five-match series, the club amassed 126 runs at an average of 25.20 and a strike rate of 151.80, demonstrating its attacking proach despite mixed results. What impact did New Zealand’s presence have on the series?
New Zealand’s fielding proved to be a crucial factor in the outcome of the series. The visiting team struggled to citalize on opportunities throughout the competition, which hurt their chances of a series win. “Normally New Zealand are a fantastic team.
They dropped 15 catches. If they hadn’t, they might have won the series. Luckily for them, the dropped catches in the last game did not prove costly,” said Vihari.
The conditions in New Zealand presented unique challenges for defensive players as the ball moved unpredictably through the air. Vihari drew on his own playing experience in the country to explain the difficulties faced by the defensive team. “But New Zealand is difficult to catch because the ball spins in the air.
I saw it when I played it. But 15 lost catches is a lot and it showed in the series result for them,” he added. Also Read: Rishabh Pant to undergo second fitness test ahead of India’s tour of New Zealand. India’s dominance in the opening stages of the series proved crucial, although New Zealand posed a tough challenge in the closing stages.
Vihari reflected on how both teams’ performances shattered the overall picture of the competition. “India dominated the first three games. New Zealand did this over the next two years.
Overall, it was a great series for India but New Zealand deserves a lot of credit,” Vihari said.
