Abhishek Sharma becomes first batter to hit 100 T20I powerplay sixes

Indian opener Abhishek Sharma has become the first batter in men’s T20 internationals to hit 100 sixes during the powerplay.

Abhishek reached the milestone during India’s second T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch. He scored 27 off 21 balls, including three fours and a six, before falling to Mitchell Santner in the ninth over as India chased a target of 181.

The left-hander now has 100 powerplay sixes in T20Is, hitting one every 7.77 balls on average. Former India skipper Rohit Sharma is second on the list with 98 sixes, followed by New Zealand’s Martin Guptill with 97.

Abhishek’s record underlines his aggressive approach at the top of the order, where he looks to put pressure on bowlers from the start.

Abhishek has enjoyed a prolific year in the shortest format. He has scored 1,012 runs in 36 T20I innings at an average of 28.91 and a strike rate of 199.60, including a century and eight half-centuries. His highest score this year is 108.

He is only the third Indian batter to score more than 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year, joining Suryakumar Yadav, who made 1,164 runs in 2022, and Ishan Kishan, who has scored 1,159 runs this year.

Coming to the match, India won the toss and chose to bowl first, reducing New Zealand to 41/3 inside the powerplay. Glenn Phillips scored 70 off 46 balls, while Bevon Jacobs made 58 off 46 as the pair rebuilt the innings with a 116-run stand for the fourth wicket.

New Zealand finished on 180/5 in 20 overs. Arshdeep Singh took two wickets for 33 runs, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed one each.

India’s chase faltered after a strong start, slipping from 40 without loss to 112/6 as Santner took four wickets. Naman Dhir briefly revived hopes with 31 off 17 balls.

Tilak Varma then anchored the finish with an unbeaten 51 off 26 deliveries, while Nitish Kumar Reddy struck an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls. The pair guided India home with one ball remaining, giving the world champions a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.