India vs New Zealand: Swashbuckling India opener Abhishek Sharma continued to torment Kiwi bowlers in the ongoing series, registering his second half-century of the series on Sunday. Abhishek scored his fifty in just 14 balls, marking the second-fastest half-century for an Indian batter as India achieved another incredible win in the series.
Smashing five fours and four sixes, Abhishek went past all-rounder Hardik Pandya's record for the second-fastest hundred as the latter achieved it in just 16 deliveries. However, talismanic Yuvraj Singh occupies the top spot with a 12-ball fifty, which he achieved during the inaugural T20 World Cup. Interestingly, Abhishek has been mentored by Yuvraj himself.
The youngster from Punjab remained unbeaten on 68 off just 20 deliveries, as he powered India to an eight-wicket victory.
Abhishek Sharma To Go Past Yuvraj Singh?
Speaking about his remarkable innings, Abhishek said after the match, “That's what my team wants from me and I just want to execute all the time. But obviously, it's not easy to do it every time, but I think it's all about mental as well and the atmosphere you get around your dressing room as well. That's more than impossible for anyone (to break Yuvraj's fastest T20 fifty record), but still, you never know. Any batsman could do it because I think all the batters have been batting really well in this series as well and going forward, it's going to be fun."
On hitting a six off the first ball again, he added, "I wouldn't say it's like I want to go from the first ball. It's just the instinct I get in between the wickets. I think about the bowler if he wants to get out on my first ball, then what he could bowl to me and that's always there in my mind and I just want to play on that ball.”
Speaking about his remarkable innings, Abhishek said after the match, “That's what my team wants from me and I just want to execute all the time. But obviously, it's not easy to do it every time, but I think it's all about mental as well and the atmosphere you get around your dressing room as well. That's more than impossible for anyone (to break Yuvraj's fastest T20 fifty record), but still, you never know. Any batsman could do it because I think all the batters have been batting really well in this series as well and going forward, it's going to be fun."
Abhishek’s dazzling display not only helped India seal a dominant win but also announced him as a rising force in the team’s T20 setup ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
Inputs from Agency