India vs New Zealand Man of the Series ODIs: Who was awarded Man of the Series today India vs New Zealand?

India have defeated New Zealand by 90 runs in the third ODI of the recently concluded series. An outright commanding performance across the three matches has resulted in India whitewashing their opponents 3-0. In what is India’s second such result this month, it means that the BlackCaps will return home from India without a series win yet again.

Needed to score 386 runs in the second innings to win their first ODI in India in over half-a-decade, New Zealand batted with intent but couldn’t cross the 300-run mark at the Holkar Stadium today. Opening batter Devon Conway’s (138) third ODI century was seeming threatening at one point in time but the left-handed batter needed someone as a helping hand in a high-scoring encounter.

Conway, who hit 12 fours and eight sixes at a strike rate of 138, seldom erred during the course of his 100-ball stay in the middle. However, with New Zealand losing half their side before the 30-over mark, the onus once again fell on all-rounders Michael Bracewell (26 and 1/51) and Mitchell Santner (34 and 0/58).

The two left-handed batters did hit six fours and three sixes between them but couldn’t win the challenge possessed by Indian wrist-spinners Kuldeep Yadav (9-0-62-3) and Yuzvendra Chahal (7.2-0-43-2). Much like Yadav, all-rounder Shardul Thakur also picked three wickets to win the Player of the Match award for the first time in his ODI career.

India vs New Zealand Man of the Series ODIs

Although India batter Shubman Gill (112) could’ve also won a match award for scoring his third ODI century but Thakur was chosen primarily for bowling a game-changing spell in the second innings. Gill, however, was awarded with the series award for the third time in the last six months.

Highest run-scorer across the three ODIs, Gill amassed a whopping 360 runs at an average of 180 and a strike rate of 128.57 consisting of a couple of centuries. In the process, equaling Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s record of scoring most runs in a three-match ODI series.

“Feels nice when you have a series and you perform well. I don’t think my approach has changed after the double hundred. It’s all about getting a start and converting [in] every game,” Gill told Star Sports during the post-match presentation ceremony.