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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla hailed the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) for the organisation of the India vs New Zealand 5th T20I on Saturday. He also noted that Team India's form against New Zealand bodes well for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup.
India defeated New Zealand by 46 runs in a high-scoring affair in the fifth and final T20I of the five-match T20I series. Ishan Kishan (103 runs off 43 balls) and Suryakumar Yadav (63 off 30 balls) stood out for the hosts. Speaking to ANI, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla praised the KCA and the Greenfield International Stadium, and lauded India's strong performance against New Zealand, highlighting Ishan Kishan's form. Rajeev Shukla also noted Sanju Samson's technical skill despite his poor series, and expressed optimism about India's chances in the World Cup. "The Kerala Cricket Association has done a good job and I think it's a very good stadium to host international matches. Winning this series means that our boys are in form and our performance in the World Cup is going to be really good," the BCCI VP told ANI. "Ishan Kishan performed very well. Sanju Samson is a very good batsman. Unfortunately, in this series, he can't do much, but he is very good, but technically, he is very sound...The Indian team's performance against New Zealand was really good, and it shows that their performance in the World Cup is also going to be really good. I'm very optimistic that we are going to win the World Cup," Rajeev Shukla added. Coming to the match, a 43-ball 103 by Ishan Kishan, strong support from skipper Suryakumar Yadav (63 runs off 30 balls) and a five-wicket haul by Arshdeep Singh (5/51 in 4 overs) powered India to a dominant 46-run win over New Zealand in the fifth T20I. India posted a massive 271/5 after opting to bat, with Ishan Kishan sharing a 137-run partnership with Suryakumar. Chasing 272, New Zealand fought back through Finn Allen's explosive 80 off 38 balls, but lost momentum as Arshdeep and Axar Patel (3/33 in 4 overs) struck at regular intervals. Arshdeep claimed his maiden T20I five-for as New Zealand were bowled out for 225 in 19.4 overs. The win helped India clinch the five-match T20I series 4-1. (ANI)
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