India’s opening batter Abhishek Sharma played a nearly unbelievable innings as he tore through the Blackcaps’ attack with his 68-run knock off just 20 balls. He helped India to a 150+ chase within 10 overs alongside the skipper, Suryakumar Yadav.
India defeated New Zealand in the T20I series within the first three games of the series. This is a massive boost in the confidence of the cricketers as well as the head coach, who had just lost morale, having lost the ODI series against a weakened NZ side.
Ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup, India have a bunch of positives with the series, as Suryakumar Yadav is back in form with consecutive unbeaten half-centuries, Abhishek Sharma is rocketing his way forward for India, and the bowlers are doing more than a remarkable job with the white ball.
NZ cricketers scan through Abhishek Sharma’s bat after the electrifying innings in Guwahati
Yesterday, New Zealand players were checking Abhishek Sharma’s bat after the match.
I don’t recall any other player’s bat being checked like this
The last time I remember opposition players checking a bat was during Sachin Tendulkar’s era
— Space Recorder (@1spacerecorder) January 26, 2026
One player who has given sleepless nights to the opposition is the left-handed batter Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek scored an unbeaten 68 off just 20 balls in Guwahati, which sent chills down the spine of the opposition.
After India chased the 150+ target within just 10 overs, New Zealand cricketers forgot about losing the series and rushed to Abhishek to check on his bat. Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy and Mitchell Santner can be spotted running a scan on the Indian star’s bat.
This reminded all of the major controversy that surrounded former Australian captain Ricky Ponting back in 2003. Even at the times when social media did not exist, the rumour that Ponting had a ‘spring bat’ had spread like wildfire. This was after he dominated the Indians flawlessly in the 2003 World Cup final.
How good has Abhishek been in T20Is for India?
Abhishek Sharma has been unstoppable for India in the format. Though he plays only one format, he has mastered it in his own way. Sharma nearly broke his mentor Yuvraj Singh’s record for the fastest 50 for India. He scored his half-century in 14 balls, two more than the former all-rounder.
The left-hander who plays for the Sunrisers Hyderabad has played in 36 T20I matches for India after being backed at the back of a dominating season in the IPL in 2024. Abhishek Sharma amassed 1267 runs and averaged nearly 39 with a blistering strike rate of 195.
The fearless yet consistent batter has also amassed 8 half-centuries and 2 centuries for India and has scored in all parts of the world, in whichever venue he has played cricket in.
Mark Chapman admits NZ have had flaws in all three facets
The New Zealand batter, while speaking in the post-match interview, did not shy away from revealing his thoughts on the Indian batting stalwart. Mark Chapman explained that Abhishek Sharma’s formula is not just comprised of brute force but also clarity of shot-making.
“To be honest, their batting has been dynamic and explosive,” Chapman said on Sunday.
“I haven’t seen much of him play in person, but his six-hitting ability is second to none. The way he goes about it, he seems to be putting a lot of thought into his batting. Obviously, he’s playing some really good cricket at the moment. That’s just the nature of T20 cricket — when someone is in form, they can be hard to stop at times,” he explained.
He then went on to admit that his team has been lacking in several departments in this T20I series and can improve in all three facets. “There’s a lot for us to look at and review. In all three facets, we can definitely improve,” he added.
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