Abhishek Sharma has become the first player to hit 100 powerplay sixes in T20Is, surpassing Rohit Sharma. His milestone helped India secure a narrow victory against New Zealand, putting the visitors 2-0 up in the five-match T20I series.

Abhishek Sharma Shatters T20I Powerplay Sixes Record

Indian opener Abhishek Sharma made history, overtaking legendary Rohit Sharma to become the first batter ever to hit 100 sixes in the powerplay phase of a T20I innings. Abhishek achieved this massive feat during his side's second T20I against New Zealand at Christchurch. In a chase of 181, he gave India a solid start, but perished to Mitchell Santner in the ninth over in a middle-overs wobble for 27 off 21 balls, with three fours and a six. He scored his runs at a strike rate of 128.57.

Now, Abhishek has exactly 100 sixes in the powerplay in T20Is, with a balls-per-six rate of 7.77, the best in T20Is. Rohit smashed 98 powerplay sixes throughout his career, with a balls-per-six rate of 17.05. Former New Zealand opener Martin Guptill is in third place, with 97 sixes in the powerplay phase and a balls-per-six rate of 16.58. In 36 T20Is this year, Abhishek has scored 1,012 runs in 36 matches and innings at an average of 28.91 and a strike rate of 199.60, with a century and eight fifties, including a best score of 108. Abhishek is only the third Indian batter after Suryakumar Yadav (1,164 runs in 2022) and Ishan Kishan (1,159 runs this year) to cross the 1,000-run mark in T20Is during a calendar year.

New Zealand's Recovery and India's Narrow Win

Match Summary and Key Performances

Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. They had New Zealand down 41/3 within the powerplay. Glenn Phillips (70 in 46 balls, with four boundaries and sixes each) and Bevon Jacobs (58 in 46 balls, with five fours and a six) led New Zealand's recovery after an early top-order collapse against India after Kiwis were down 41/3 within powerplay, stitching a 116-run stand for the fourth wicket, taking NZ to 180/5 in 20 overs. Besides Arshdeep's 2/33, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy got a wicket each.

While chasing 181 set by New Zealand, the world champions collapsed from 40/0 to 112/6, with Mitchell Santner's four-fer causing havoc in the middle overs. The hope was reinstated by a quickfire 31 in 17 balls (with a four and three sixes) by Naman Dhir, and it was Tilak (51* in 26 balls, with six fours and a six) and Nitish (26* in 13 balls, with a four and a six) who took India to victory with a ball left. India is 2-0 up in the five-match series.

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