India’s opener Abhishek Sharma played an almost unbelievable innings and demolished the Blackcaps attack by scoring 68 runs in just 20 balls. He, along with captain Suryakumar Yadav, helped India achieve the target of 150+ within 10 overs.
India defeated New Zealand in the first three matches of the T-20 series. This is a huge boost in the confidence of the cricketers as well as the head coach, whose morale was low after the ODI series loss against a weak New Zealand team.
Ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup, there have been a lot of positives from this series for India, as Suryakumar Yadav has been back in form with consecutive unbeaten half-centuries, Abhishek Sharma has been leading the way for India, and the bowlers have been doing a remarkable job with the white ball.
New Zealand cricketers scan Abhishek Sharma’s bat after his brilliant innings in Guwahati
After the match yesterday, New Zealand players were checking Abhishek Sharma’s bat.
I don’t remember any other player’s bat being examined like this
I remember the last time the opposition players checked the bat was during the era of Sachin Tendulkar.
– Space Recorder (@1spacerecorder) 26 January 2026
One player who has given the opposition team sleepless nights is left-handed batsman Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek scored unbeaten 68 runs in just 20 balls in Guwahati, which stunned the opposition team.
When India achieved the target of 150+ within just 10 overs, the New Zealand cricketer forgot about losing the series and rushed to Abhishek to see his bat. Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy and Mitchell Santner can be seen scanning the Indian star’s bat.
It was reminiscent of the huge controversy that surrounded former Australian captain Ricky Ponting in 2003. Even at a time when social media did not exist, the rumor that Ponting had a ‘spring bat’ spread like wildfire. This happened when they completely dominated the Indians in the 2003 World Cup final.
How good has Abhishek been for India in T20Is?
Abhishek Sharma has been unstoppable for India in this format. Although he plays only one format, he has mastered it in his own way. Sharma almost broke his mentor Yuvraj Singh’s record of scoring the fastest 50 for India. He scored his half-century in 14 balls, which is two more than the former all-rounder.
The left-handed batsman, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad, has played 36 T20I matches for India after getting the nod in the IPL in 2024 after an impressive season. Abhishek Sharma scored 1267 runs at an average of almost 39 with a blistering strike rate of 195.
This fearless but consistent batsman has also scored 8 half-centuries and 2 centuries for India and has scored runs in all parts of the world, no matter where he has played cricket.
Mark Chapman admits New Zealand has shortcomings in all three aspects
Speaking in the post-match interview, the New Zealand batsman did not hesitate to express his views about the Indian batsman. Mark Chapman explained that Abhishek Sharma’s formula not only involves brute force but also clarity of shot making.
“Honestly, his batting has been dynamic and explosive,” Chapman said on Sunday.
“I haven’t seen him play much individually, but his six-hitting ability is second to none. The way he does it, he is very thoughtful in his batting. Obviously, he is playing some very good cricket at the moment. It’s just the nature of T20 cricket – when someone is in form, it can be difficult to stop him at times,” he said.
After this he admitted that his team has been lacking in many departments in this T20 series and it can improve in all three aspects. “We have a lot to look at and review. In all three aspects, we can definitely improve,” he said.
Also read: Due to the biggest crisis of T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan is ready to boycott the match with India.