Abhishek Sharma Sets Unique T20I Six-Hitting Record Against New Zealand

Abhishek Sharma Claims T20I World Record

During the opening T20I encounter against New Zealand in Christchurch, Indian batter abhishek sharma set a unique world record by hitting the very first delivery he faced for a six. Facing Matt Henry off the final ball of the first over, he sent the full delivery wide of off stump over the cover boundary to reach the milestone.

This achievement marked the seventh time the left-hander has cleared the ropes off the first ball faced in T20 internationals. He surpassed Afghanistan player Shafiqullah Shinwari, who holds six such hits, while Suryakumar Yadav stands third with five.

Partnership and Match Progress

Collaborating with Sanju Samson, the opening pair built a quick 93-run partnership in just 5.5 overs. During this brief stint, abhishek sharma contributed 29 runs from 12 deliveries, striking three sixes and two fours before Michael Bracewell ended his innings. This milestone also marked the fifth 50-plus opening stand for India in a calendar year in T20Is, matching previous records set by Indian pairs.

Following the dismissal, India stood at 128/4 in 11 overs while chasing a target of 226. Earlier in the fixture, New Zealand posted 225/8, supported by Finn Allen's 45 runs and an unbeaten 82 from Glenn Phillips.

Bowling Struggles

In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, the bowling attack faced difficulties containing the opposition batters. Axar Patel conceded 51 runs in four overs, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave away 49, Arshdeep Singh conceded 45, and Mayank Yadav alongside Nitish Reddy gave up 40 runs each. This performance marked the first time five Indian bowlers conceded 40 or more runs in a single T20I innings.

More details on this series can be found in our coverage of अभिषेक शर्मा ने न्यूजीलैंड के खिलाफ पहले टी20 मैच में बनाए बड़े रिकॉर्ड.

Sources: The Times of India, Inshorts, India.com.