Visakhapatnam’s ACA-VDCA Stadium witnessed India’s first series stumble against New Zealand – a 50-run loss in the fourth T20I. Captain Suryakumar Yadav pulled no punches, attributing the defeat to a purposeful strategy favoring 2026 T20 World Cup hopefuls.
Tim Seifert’s 62 and Devon Conway’s 44 propelled NZ to 215/7. India stuttered to 165 all out, bowled out in under 19 overs amid collapsing partnerships.
Toss victor SKY’s fielding choice stemmed from experimentation. ‘Heavy dew prompted us to chase, testing our setup with six batsmen and a potent bowling attack,’ he said. ‘We simulated defenses of 180-200 after early blows – exactly what World Cups demand.’
On selections, he was direct: ‘Chances went to World Cup team members by design. We held back others for this focus.’
Learning points abounded. ‘Pressure chasing is vital; we’ve excelled batting first lately. Dube fought well – imagine if he’d had company for a big stand. Dew aside, one partnership flips 50-run losses in massive chases.’
India’s camp views this as growth fuel. SKY’s blueprint – blending youth with experience for global battles – positions the team strongly, even if it cost a match. The series finale looms with lessons embedded.