NZ vs IND: Abhishek Sharma reacts to Yuvraj’s 12-ball shout on live TV

Abhishek Sharma had a cheeky reply to mentor Yuvraj Singh after the former India all-rounder playfully mocked the youngster’s inability to score a 12-ball half-century. Fresh from smashing a 35-ball century against New Zealand in the Wellington T20I, Abhishek admitted the feat was not easy to achieve before wondering what kind of cricket Yuvraj was playing in 2007.

Yuvraj congratulated Abhishek on his match-winning knock but also joked that the left-hander still failed to score a fifty off 12 balls. The remark came after Abhishek produced a breathtaking innings to help India beat New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20I in Wellington on Tuesday. unattainable 3-0 lead in the five-game series.

Screengrab from Yuvraj Singh’s Instagram

When asked about Yuvraj’s knock during the post-match presentation, Abhishek laughed off the challenge and explained why scoring 50 off 12 deliveries is easier said than done.

“I mean, I’ve said it before. I don’t know what kind of cricket he was playing at that time, but it’s not easy at all. And I would say if a batsman wants to go out there and bat like that, it’s not easy at all. You can’t just go and score 50 off 12 balls. It just happens once in a while,” Abhishek said.

The left-hander also made it clear that the prosecution of personal milestones is not planned. Instead, along with teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, they wanted to make the most of the power play and put New Zealand under pressure right from the start.

NZ vs IND, 3rd T20I: Scorecard | Highlighting

“As a batter, we don’t go after this milestone. We always want to win the match for the team, especially Vaibhav. He is here. So that was the plan and that’s what we want to take in the whole series as well and it went well,” he added.

PLAN FOR A MATCH WINNING KNOCK

Abhishek’s 38-ball 113 propelled India to a remarkable chase of 199, with the visitors reaching their target in just 13.2 overs. The opener said observing the pitch and using the ground dimensions helped him and Sooryavanshi settle on their approach.

“I think the key was pretty simple. It was just me and Vaibhav there, we just enjoyed it for a while, especially in the power play. And especially when we played in the field, we watched the pitch a bit for that extra bounce. But I feel the dimensions of the ground, we could have used the power play and we could have used the pace,” he said.

“That was an easy plan. And then, of course, the way he started again, Vaibhave, I think that was really special. And that was the plan for us, to get momentum for the team and then just keep going.”

The 25-year-old also praised the Indian coaching staff for the preparation that went into his innings, especially working with handgun deliveries during practice.

“It’s just preparation behind the scenes. I would give a special mention to our coaches for the side arms; we’ve played them a lot. And just, I feel preparation is really important as a batsman,” Abhishek said.

“If you see the conditions and the dimensions, it’s always in your mind, and then you have to have the bowlers in your mind as well and play the shots according to the bowlers. We had a good practice yesterday and I just wanted to take advantage of that, and I did. And I feel like I pretty much showed that innings, and I did.”

ABHISHEK, SOORYAVANSHI SPLIT THE NZ ATTACK

India’s opening pair made a mockery of the 199-run target, adding 133 runs in just 7.1 overs. Sooryavanshi smashed 45 off 19 balls while Abhishek dominated the attack with 11 sixes and nine fours.

The attack started in the first over with Jacob Duffy giving up 26 runs. India raced to 100 in five overs before finishing the powerplay on 118, setting a new record for the highest score in the first six overs of a T20 innings.

Abhishek brought up his half-century in just 15 balls and completed his century off 35 deliveries. He celebrated the milestone with his trademark meditative pose before finally being released at 113.

Earlier, Daryl Mitchell led the New Zealand innings with an unbeaten 89 off 52 balls. Finn Allen scored 40 off 25 deliveries while Bevon Jacobs remained unbeaten on 39 off 23 balls as the hosts finished on 198 for three.

However, Abhishek and Sooryavanshi ensured that the sum was never enough. India completed the chase in 40 balls to seal their third T20I series win in New Zealand after winning 5-0 in 2020 and 1-0 in 2022.

– The end