The five-match T20 series between India and New Zealand kicked off with the first encounter at the Christchurch venue, where Indian captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first. Expectations were high that the conditions in New Zealand would favour the bowling unit and produce a much-improved display from the Indian attack. However, reality unfolded quite differently as the New Zealand batting lineup piled up a massive total of 225 runs for the loss of just four wickets in their 20 overs. India deployed five bowlers during the innings, and every single one of them ended up conceding 40 or more runs. This dismal performance resulted in the Indian bowling unit registering an unwanted record that had never been witnessed before in the team's history.
First Time Five Indian Bowlers Conceded 40 Plus Runs in T20Is
During the series opener against New Zealand, the five bowlers utilized by the Indian side completed their full four-over allocations but leaked runs heavily. Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded 49 runs, Arshdeep Singh gave away 45 runs, fast bowler Mayank Yadav leaked 40 runs, Axar Patel yielded 51 runs, and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was taken for 40 runs. This marks the very first occasion in T20 International cricket where five bowlers from the Indian team have conceded 40 or more runs in a single completed match. Looking at the broader picture of T20 Internationals globally, this is only the 13th time overall that a team's five bowlers have all given away 40 plus runs in a single fixture.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Fails to Impress on Return
Returning to the national team setup after a lengthy absence, experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar bore high expectations to deliver with the ball, but he failed to make any notable impact. Bhuvneshwar leaked 49 runs across his four overs and finished the innings without picking up a single wicket. This performance stands as the second-worst bowling figures of Bhuvneshwar Kumar's T20 International career. Additionally, it marked the first time in his entire T20I career that he bowled a no-ball during an international match.
