Christchurch: India’s young opener Abhishek Sharma has surpassed former captain Rohit Sharma to set a new record in T20 International cricket. During the second T20I against New Zealand, Abhishek became the first batter in the world to hit 100 sixes during the powerplay in T20 Internationals.
Abhishek went past Rohit’s tally of 98 powerplay sixes. Former New Zealand opener Martin Guptill occupies third place on the list with 97 sixes.
What makes Abhishek’s achievement particularly impressive is the speed at which he has reached the milestone. He has averaged a six every 7.77 balls in T20 Internationals during the powerplay. Rohit, by comparison, needed an average of 17.05 balls to hit a six.
Abhishek has also crossed the 1,000-run mark in T20 cricket in the calendar year. He moved closer to the powerplay record with a six off Matt Henry, sending the ball over extra cover.
However, Abhishek could not convert his start into a big score in the match. He was dismissed for 27 off 21 balls, including three fours and a six.
Chasing a target of 181, India got off to a promising start but could not fully capitalise on it as the top-order batters failed to produce substantial scores. The middle order played a crucial role in guiding India to victory.
Tilak Varma was named Player of the Match after scoring an unbeaten half-century. Naman Dhir contributed 31 runs, while Nitish Kumar Reddy remained unbeaten on 26.
The third match of the series is scheduled for Tuesday.
