India’s explosive opener Abhishek Sharma revealed that ‘intent’ and relentless practice are the driving forces behind his aggressive brand of cricket.
The young left-hander played a sensational innings, scoring 84 runs off 35 balls in the first T20I of the five-match home series against New Zealand to guide his team to a 48-run victory.
He was adjudged the Player of the Match and, speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, the 25-year-old said: “I think, sir, one thing I’ve figured that if you want to hit all the balls properly, if you want to play at the striking of 200 or something, that you have to be, you know, carrying that intent and you have to practice a lot for that. Because if you see all these teams, they always have a plan for me. So far, I think it’s just not the fielding, it’s all about the pitching and the bowling as well.”
“So it’s about the week preparation I’ve been doing before the games, because I’ve got two, three days or maybe a week before this. So I knew in my mind that I’m gonna get challenged by these bowlers and I have this mind. But obviously, I’m gonna back my, you know, instincts and I’ve been practicing for about a long time,” he added.
India were struggling after losing Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan when the score was just 27 within the third over. From there, Abhishek and captain Suryakumar Yadav took charge and stitched a partnership of 99 runs off 47 balls. Abhishek continued his brilliant form from 2025 and played his natural game.
His innings included five fours and eight sixes at a strike rate of 240. During the innings, the Punjab batter also achieved a unique record, becoming the only T20I batter to score a fifty in 25 or fewer balls for the eighth time.
In reply, the Kiwis managed only 190/7 in 20 overs, with Glenn Phillips being the top scorer, scoring 78 off 40.
Also read- IND vs NZ: Suryakumar Yadav Delighted with India’s Batting Show in Nagpur T20I
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