IND vs NZ: Ton-up Abhishek Sharma surpasses Virat Kohli in major T20 record
Abhishek Sharma and Virat Kohli Abhishek Sharma produced a breathtaking batting display, smashing a 35-ball century to power India to a six-wicket win over New Zealand in the third T20I on Tuesday. The left-handed opener raced to 113 off just 38 deliveries as India chased down the target with 40 balls to spare to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.Abhishek’s sensational knock featured nine fours and 11 sixes, helping him overtake Virat Kohli to become India’s leading century maker in men’s T20 cricket. The 24-year-old now has 11 hundreds in the format, moving ahead of Kohli, who has 10.The Indian opener also joined the elite list of the most prolific century makers in men’s T20 cricket, moving into third place behind Chris Gayle and Babar Azam.
Abhishek Sharma surpasses Kohli in T20 hundreds
Abhishek continued his remarkable run in the shortest format with a blistering innings that left the New Zealand bowlers scrambling for answers. He reached his century in just 35 balls and dismantled the attack with an extraordinary combination of power and timing.His knock of 113 came off 38 deliveries and included 11 sixes, underscoring his dominance at the crease. The Indian opener was eventually dismissed by Kyle Jamieson, with Glenn Phillips completing a catch at deep mid-wicket, but the damage was already done.With his 11th T20 hundred, Abhishek surpassed Kohli’s 10 centuries for India. Globally, only Chris Gayle with 22 hundreds and Babar Azam with 13 have scored more centuries in men’s T20 cricket.
Most hundreds in men’s T20 cricket
- 22 — Chris Gayle
- 13 — Babar Azam
- 11 — Abhishek Sharma
- 10 — Quinton de Kock
- 10 — Virat Kohli
- 10 — David Warner
Abhishek and Sooryavanshi rewrite the Powerplay record
India made a change at the top of the order, sending in youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to open alongside Abhishek. The move paid spectacular dividends as the duo launched an all-out assault on New Zealand’s bowling attack.India raced to 118 runs in the Powerplay, setting a new record for the highest Powerplay total in a full member state in men’s T20 Internationals. The opening partnership ended up yielding 133 runs, putting India firmly in control of the chase.While Sooryavanshi passed the half-century, he provided explosive support to Abhishek who continued to attack relentlessly. The youngster was eventually dismissed by Matthew Fisher who claimed his first T20I wicket.New Zealand’s decision to retain captain Mitchell Santner to bowl against the two left-arm openers proved costly. By the time the spinner came into the attack, India had already taken complete control of the contest.The hosts conceded 118 runs in the first six overs and 178 in the first 10, leaving little room for their bowlers to recover. Jamieson and Santner picked up wickets towards the end but the game was effectively decided during the opening attack.
Mitchell’s unbeaten 89 helps New Zealand post a competitive total
Earlier, Indian captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first in the hope of putting New Zealand under pressure. The home side lost Tim Seifert early, but Finn Allen and Daryl Mitchell responded with an aggressive counter attack to give their team a strong platform.Allen fell in the 40s but Mitchell continued to anchor the innings and finished unbeaten on 89. Bevon Jacobs also contributed a useful knock to help New Zealand build a competitive side.India’s bowling performance was mixed, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar once again struggling to make a significant impact. However, the visitors recovered well at the death with Prince Yadav producing an impressive comeback and Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy executing their yorkers effectively.Their disciplined death bowling ensured that New Zealand could not push their total past the 200-run mark, leaving India with a target of 199 runs.The win gave India an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series with two matches remaining. After dominating the batting contest, the visitors completed the chase with 40 deliveries to spare.
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