Power and precision defined Abhishek Sharma’s game-changing innings in Nagpur, where he bludgeoned his way past 5000 T20 runs during India’s first T20I against New Zealand. The 84-run blitz off 35 deliveries – including 8 towering sixes and 5 crisp fours – arrived in his 165th innings over 169 matches, marking a personal milestone amid team triumph.
Abhishek’s 22-ball half-century vaulted him atop the T20I charts for quickest fifties in 25 balls or fewer, boasting 8 such innings ahead of Suryakumar Yadav, Phil Salt, and Evin Lewis’s 7 apiece. His six-hitting prowess against New Zealand now places him tied-second with Kieron Pollard’s 8 maximums, behind Richard Levi’s 13 from 2012.
India’s decision to bat first yielded 238/7, a score etched as the third-best in T20 history versus the Kiwis. Abhishek led with 84, backed by Rinku Singh’s unbeaten 44 (20 balls, 3×6, 4×4) and Suryakumar Yadav’s 32. New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson starred with 2 wickets each; Chris Clarke, Ish Sodhi, and Mitchell Santner grabbed one.
Surpassing previous highs like Australia’s 245/5 and England’s 241/3, this innings underscores India’s evolving T20 dominance. Abhishek’s surge signals a new era of aggressive openers ready to redefine limited-overs cricket.