3 instances when India whitewashed an away T20I series

Team India started off 2020 on a bright note having thrashed Sri Lanka (2-0) at home in the three-match T20I series. With 2020 T20 World Cup beckoning, their next T20I assignment- away from home against New Zealand assumed greater significance.

This series was perceived as an opportunity for the Men in Blue to try out different combinations and test their bench strength on overseas conditions keeping in mind the quadrennial event which is set to be played at Australia in October 2020.

The absence of several key players like Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shikhar Dhawan and Deepak Chahar was a blessing in disguise for other players like Sanju Samson, Shardul Thakur and Shivam Dube to make a mark and prove worthy of earning a ticket to T20 World Cup.

It was important for Team India to put up a strong display and achieve good results and they did just that by whitewashing the T20I series against New Zealand.

On that note, let us look at three instances when Team India whitewashed the opponents in their own backyard in the T20I series:

(Note: Series comprising a minimum of three T20Is were considered)

3) 5-0 against New Zealand in 2020

Playing their first-ever five-match T20I series, Team India dominated the Black Caps in their own backyard from the word ‘go’. Needing a massive 204 runs for victory in the series opener at Auckland, the Men in Blue chased down the target in 19 overs at the loss of four wickets- courtesy half-centuries from KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer apart from skipper Virat Kohli’s vital 45 off 32 balls. They extended their lead to 2-0 at Eden Park having won the second game quite comfortably (by seven wickets in just 17.3 overs) chasing 133 runs.

Kohli’s men confidently travelled to Hamilton for the next fixture knowing that a victory at Seddon Park would not just help them clinch their first-ever T20I series win in New Zealand but also provide them with an opportunity to test their bench strength with the 2020 T20 World Cup beckoning.

Since the scores were tied, the match headed to Super Over in which Man of the Match Rohit Sharma displayed nerves of steel under pressure to clinch the game as well as the series for India with his heroics. Much to the surprise, the series witnessed yet another Super Over finish when the two sides met each other in the fourth T20I at Wellington.

Sans regular skipper Kane Williamson, the Kiwis’ misfortune continued in the Super Over as stand-in skipper Tim Southee faltered one again. For the fifth and final T20I of the series which was played at Mount Maunganui, skipper Virat Kohli opted for a break as Rohit Sharma skippered the side in his absence.

As Rohit Sharma walked-off the field (retired hurt) while he was batting on 60, KL Rahul led Team India during New Zealand’s inning. Eventually, India won the game as well the series (5-0) as the hosts fell seven runs short of India’s total (163). For Team India, who never won two T20I matches consecutively against New Zealand, it was a clinical whitewash in the five-match T20I series.