Abhishek Sharma Sets New T20I Record with 100 Sixes in Powerplay
Historic Achievement by Abhishek Sharma
In Christchurch, New Zealand, on October 24, Indian opener Abhishek Sharma made headlines by becoming the first player to hit 100 sixes during the powerplay phase of a T20 International innings, surpassing the legendary Rohit Sharma.
This remarkable milestone was reached in the second T20I against New Zealand, where India was chasing a target of 181 runs. Abhishek provided a strong start but was dismissed by Mitchell Santner in the ninth over, scoring 27 runs off 21 balls, which included three fours and one six, at a strike rate of 128.57.
With this achievement, Abhishek now holds the record for the most powerplay sixes in T20Is, averaging a six every 7.77 balls. Rohit Sharma previously held the record with 98 sixes at a rate of 17.05 balls per six, while former New Zealand opener Martin Guptill follows closely with 97 sixes and a rate of 16.58.
In 2023 alone, Abhishek has played 36 T20Is, accumulating 1,012 runs at an average of 28.91 and an impressive strike rate of 199.60, which includes one century and eight fifties, with his highest score being 108.
He is now the third Indian batter to surpass the 1,000-run mark in T20Is within a calendar year, joining Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan.
During the match, India won the toss and opted to bowl first, quickly reducing New Zealand to 41/3 in the powerplay. However, Glenn Phillips (70 runs off 46 balls) and Bevon Jacobs (58 runs off 46 balls) formed a crucial partnership, leading New Zealand to a total of 180/5 in their 20 overs.
Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler for India, taking 2 wickets for 33 runs, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, and Nitish Kumar Reddy each claimed one wicket.
In response, India faced a dramatic collapse from 40/0 to 112/6, largely due to Mitchell Santner's four wickets. A quick 31 runs from Naman Dhir and a solid finish by Tilak (51* off 26 balls) and Nitish (26* off 13 balls) secured India's victory with one ball remaining, putting them 2-0 up in the five-match series.