India, headed by Hardik Pandya, and New Zealand squared off on Wednesday (February 1), with the third and final T20I ending with a score of 1-1. India decided to bat first at the renowned Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad, and they posted a daunting 234 for 4 thanks to Shubman Gill's 63-ball 126 not out and Rahul Tripathi's 22-ball 44. In response, the Mitchell Santner-led Black Caps never had a chance and could only muster 66 all out in 12.1 overs, losing by an enormous score of 168 runs. India kept their hold on the top spot in the ICC T20I standings by winning the series.

Speaking of the match, India entered the match with just one alteration, Umran Malik replacing Yuzvendra Chahal. As a result, Prithvi Shaw, who just hit 379 runs in the Ranji Trophy, was benched, which caused a stir among cricket enthusiasts. India supported Gill and Ishan Kishan, who in the series finals once more failed. Captain Hardik Pandya received the trophy from BCCI President Roger Binny and Secretary Jay Shah following the team's straightforward victory over the Kiwis in the Ahmedabad T20I. In an effort to draw attention to the benched Shaw, Hardik swiftly handed him the trophy.

Shaw would be upset if he did not play in a game during the New Zealand series. In order to acquire a longer rope in the T20I setup with the World Cup taking place in the West Indies and the USA next year, he will aim for a spectacular run in the IPL 2023.

"I don't mind getting (the man of the series award), but there were many performances here that were fantastic," a beaming Hardik remarked at the post-game presentation as he pondered on the series victory. The entire support staff deserves to receive the Man of the Series award and trophy, and I'm thrilled for them all. To be completely honest, I always play the game in this manner. (On thinking beyond the box.)

I make an effort to read only what is necessary and avoid having preconceptions. I try to keep my captaincy straightforward and trust my instincts. My basic rule is that if I fail, I will fail on my terms. We discussed accepting challenges. On this surface today because it was a decider, I tried to make the game more routine than it was when we played the IPL final. So, we took the field first. We hope to keep performing at this level.

India will now turn their attention to their home match against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which begins on February 9.