India National Cricket Team captain Shreyas Iyer stepped up when his team needed the most and produced a sensational batting performance in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand National Cricket Team at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday, November 1.

New Zealand had a terrific start, but Iyer played an aggressive knock to put the bowlers under tremendous pressure. However, Nathan Smith managed to dismiss the Indian captain with a clever short ball at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Amid this, Ishan Kishan created history, becoming India's highest T20I run-scorer in a calendar year.

Nathan Smith ends Shreyas Iyer's explosive knock with a clever short ball in the 5th T20I

Nathan Smith sent an excellent delivery to end Shreyas Iyer's dangerous innings. The New Zealand pacer bowled a short delivery with good pace, and the ball skidded off the pitch, making it difficult for the Indian captain to judge its bounce during the final T20I in Hamilton.

Iyer moved onto his back foot and tried to play an aggressive pull shot. However, the delivery was too close to his off stump, leaving him with very little room to play the shot comfortably. He was not in the right position and ended up getting a thick top edge.

The ball went high into the air, and the New Zealand wicketkeeper Tim Seifert made no mistake while completing a brilliant catch. Iyer had to walk back after scoring 50 runs from 23 deliveries with the help of three boundaries and four sixes against New Zealand in the final.

Smith's pace, the low bounce of the pitch, and the clever line of the delivery worked perfectly against Iyer, who was struggling for runs in the T20I series before the Hamilton comeback.

Shreyas Iyer joins Rohit Sharma in elite club

Shreyas Iyer achieved an important milestone with his stunning fifty in the final T20I against New Zealand at Seddon Park. The right-handed batter joined an elite list of Indian batters with the most 50+ scores in T20I format in New Zealand.

Rohit Sharma remains the Indian batter with the most 50+ scores in New Zealand in the shorter format of the game, with three half-centuries. Iyer has now registered his second 50-plus score in New Zealand, sharing the second spot with KL Rahul, who also has two such scores.

Indian batters with most 50+ scores in T20Is in New Zealand:

• Rohit Sharma – 3
• Shreyas Iyer – 2*
• KL Rahul – 2
• Ishan Kishan – 1*
• Suryakumar Yadav – 1
• Manish Pandey – 1
• Suresh Raina – 1
• Yuvraj Singh – 1
• Abhishek Sharma – 1
• Tilak Varma – 1
• Sanju Samson – 1

Shreyas Iyer equals Rohit Sharma's record in SENA countries

Iyer also reached another special milestone among Indian captains in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). He now has three 50+ scores in T20Is as India's captain in SENA countries, achieving the feat in just 10 innings.

With this, Iyer has equalled Rohit Sharma, who also registered three such scores but took 14 innings to reach the milestone. However, Iyer has now become the fastest Indian captain to register the most number of the 50+ scores in SENA countries.

Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli are next on the list with two 50-plus scores each. Suryakumar achieved the feat in nine innings, while Kohli took 14 innings. Amid this, Tilak Varma suffers bizarre double dismissal in same over against Nathan Smith in 5th T20I.

Most 50-Plus Scores By Indian Captains In T20Is In SENA Countries:

• Shreyas Iyer – 3 (10 innings)*
• Rohit Sharma – 3 (14 innings)
• Suryakumar Yadav – 2 (9 innings)
• Virat Kohli – 2 (14 innings)