Abhishek Sharma’s 84 Off 35 Powers India to 48-Run Win Over New Zealand

Abhishek Sharma’s blistering knock of 84 runs in 35 balls, featuring 8 sixes and 5 fours, helped India reach a staggering total of 238. However, New Zealand could reach only 190/7, losing the match by 48 runs. Thus, Team India has taken the first victory in this five-match T20 series. Abhishek Sharma has been awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for this match-winning performance. After the match, Abhishek won hearts by saying, "I'll never try range hitting because I'm not that strong. I think I'm more of a timing batsman. I just have to watch the ball and adapt to the conditions."

After receiving the Player of the Match award, Abhishek Sharma said, "We had a plan, and we're sticking to it. I've learned that if you want to hit every ball or play at a strike rate of 200, it's important to play with intent. Every team has a plan against me. So, it depends on my preparation. I'll trust my instincts."

Is hitting sixes a high-risk strategy? He said, "I don't think it's high-risk, but it's my comfort zone. I always want the team to be first because they want to use the first six overs, and I've practiced that before in the nets." If I get a score in the first three or four overs, you know, we always have the upper hand.

Do you range-hit? He replied, "No, I never range-hit because I'm not that strong. I think I'm more of a timing batsman. I just have to watch the ball and adapt to the conditions, because we're playing all over India right now. So I have to adjust very quickly to the conditions. I plan a day in advance or whenever I get a net session."

Which ball to hit? Abhishek said, "Even if you watch videos of my batting, you get an idea of ​​where the bowler is planning to bowl or maybe where I'll play my shots. But, it's always about trusting my shots, because I don't have a lot of them. There are just a few shots that I practice a lot and I execute them."