IND vs NZ, 3rd T20I: Abhishek Sharma Laughs Off Yuvraj Singh’s Cheeky 12-Ball 50 Jibe After Wellington Century

Abhishek Sharma smashed a 38-ball 113 against New Zealand in the third T20I. After his 15-ball fifty, mentor Yuvraj Singh teased him about his 12-ball record. Sharma stressed that team success matters more than personal milestones.

Team India star opener Abhishek Sharma lit up Hnry Stadium with a blistering and record-breaking century in the third T20I of the five-match series in Wellington on Tuesday, October 28.

Chasing a 199-run target, Abhishek played a blazing knock of 113 off 38 balls and formed a record-breaking opening 133-run partnership with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who scored 45 off 19 balls, to lay the foundation for India's comfortable chase, wrapping up a stellar 3-0 series victory with two games to spare.

The explosive opener reached fifty in just 15 balls before adding another 63 runs off the next 23 deliveries to complete a magnificent century. However, Abhishek Sharma’s mentor and former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh took a playful jibe at him, quipping that a 15-ball half-century still left him three balls short of the ultimate benchmark.

Abhishek Reacts to Yuvraj’s Jibe

Abhishek Sharma has scored a fifty in less than 20 balls nine times in his T20I career, but the southpaw admitted that matching Yuvraj’s legendary 2007 record remains an entirely different mountain to climb.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, the explosive opener stated that replicating such an extraordinary feat is nearly impossible on most days, adding that he was unaware of what style of play was required to match his mentor’s 12-ball fifty, which he achieved during the 2007 T20 World Cup match against England.

"You can't just go out there and score a 12-ball fifty every time. What Yuvi paaji did was otherworldly, and I don't even know what cricket he was playing that day,” the southpaw said.

“Everyone knows what he did, and whenever we talk about explosive batting, that's the ultimate standard," he added.

You still can’t get 50 of 12 can you 😜 @OfficialAbhi04! Looks like two left handers batting in their backyard!

#IndVsNZ

— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) October 27, 2026

Yuvraj Singh has been Abhishek Sharma’s personal coach and guiding light from his early developmental days in domestic cricket, often working closely with him on power-hitting mechanics and mindset.

The 26-year-old had earlier acknowledged that Yuvraj’s hands-on approach and relentless push for perfection continue to drive his growth on the international stage.

Team Goals over Personal Milestones

Though Abhishek Sharma shattered multiple records during his blazing 38-ball 113, the southpaw was quick to emphasize that team success always takes precedence over personal landmarks.

“As a batter, we don't go for that milestone. We always want to win the game for the team, especially Vaibhav. He’s here,” Abhishek said.

“So that was the plan, and that’s what we want to take throughout the series as well, and it went well,” he added.

ABHISHEK SHARMA, YOU ABSOLUTE MENACE! 🤯

A 35-ball hundred. Let that sink in! 💯

Watch the HERO VIDA India Tour of New Zealand, 3rd T20I, LIVE NOW on Sony Sports Network TV channels, Sony LIV & Sony Vizha.

#SonySportsNetwork #SonyLIV #SonyVizha #NZvIND https://t.co/OvOMf1rIsy

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) October 27, 2026

Abhishek Sharma made his T20I debut in 2024, and since then, the southpaw has become an integral part of India’s white-ball setup, establishing himself as one of the most destructive opening batters in world cricket.

In his T20I career, Abhishek has scored 1770 runs out of 2240 runs through 213 fours and 153 sixes, meaning the southpaw has aggregated 79% of his total international runs exclusively through boundaries: 918 runs from sixes and 852 from fours, underscoring a staggering boundary-hitting dominance rarely seen in international cricket.