Abhishek Sharma Smashes History: Surpasses Rohit Sharma in Powerplay Sixes!
Abhishek Sharma creates T20I history in Christchurch, surpassing Rohit Sharma for the most powerplay sixes. Read about India's thrilling win.
In a breathtaking display of aggression at Christchurch, Indian opener Abhishek Sharma has etched his name into the record books. During the second T20I against New Zealand, Abhishek became the first batter in the history of T20 Internationals to hit 100 sixes during the powerplay phase, overtaking the legendary Rohit Sharma.
A Record-Breaking Milestone
While Rohit Sharma long held the crown with 98 powerplay sixes, Abhishek has now claimed the top spot with exactly 100. What makes this feat even more remarkable is the efficiency; Abhishek boasts a balls-per-six rate of 7.77, the best in T20I history. In comparison, Rohit Sharma's rate stood at 17.05, while former New Zealand star Martin Guptill follows in third place with 97 powerplay sixes and a rate of 16.58.
Abhishek's dominance this year has been nothing short of phenomenal. Across 36 T20Is in the current calendar year, he has amassed 1,012 runs at a staggering strike rate of 199.60. His haul includes one century (a top score of 108) and eight half-centuries, averaging 28.91. With this, he becomes only the third Indian to cross the 1,000-run mark in T20Is within a single calendar year, joining the elite company of Suryakumar Yadav (who scored 1,164 in 2022) and Ishan Kishan (1,159 this year).
The Match Drama: A Rollercoaster Chase
The second T20I was a game of extreme swings. India won the toss and chose to bowl, initially dominating the New Zealand top order to leave them reeling at 41/3 within the powerplay. However, the Kiwis staged a massive comeback thanks to a 116-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Glenn Phillips (70 off 46 balls) and Bevon Jacobs (58 off 46 balls). New Zealand eventually posted a competitive total of 180/5.
On the bowling front for India, Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers with 2/33, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, and Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed one wicket each.
India's Middle-Order Wobble
Chasing 181, India started strong with Abhishek Sharma providing a solid foundation. He scored 27 off 21 balls, including three fours and a six, before falling to Mitchell Santner in the ninth over. Following his departure, the world champions suffered a dramatic collapse, sliding from a comfortable 40/0 to a precarious 112/6, largely due to a devastating four-wicket haul by Santner.
The Final Surge to Victory
Just as the game seemed to be slipping away, Naman Dhir breathed life back into the chase with a quickfire 31 off 17 balls, featuring three sixes. The victory was eventually sealed by a brilliant unbeaten partnership between Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
- Tilak Varma: 51* off 26 balls (6 fours, 1 six)
- Nitish Kumar Reddy: 26* off 13 balls (1 four, 1 six)
India managed to cross the finish line with just one ball remaining, securing a thrilling win and taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match series.