IND vs NZ 1st T20: Abhishek Sharma’s statement wins hearts

IND vs NZ 1st T20 Highlights: Abhishek Sharma was named Player of the Match for his explosive 84 off just 35 balls against New Zealand. After receiving this award, Abhishek spoke openly about his batting.

IND vs NZ 1st T20 Highlights: Abhishek Sharma's explosive 84 off 35 balls, including 8 sixes and 5 fours, powered India to a massive score of 238. In response, New Zealand could only manage 190 for seven wickets, losing the match by 48 runs. With this victory, Team India has taken a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20 series.

Abhishek was awarded the Player of the Match for his match-winning innings. Post-match, Abhishek won hearts by stating, "I will never do range hitting because I am not that kind of strong guy. I think I am more of a timing batsman. I just have to watch the ball and adapt according to the conditions."

'Playing with Intent is Important'

After receiving the Player of the Match award, Abhishek Sharma said, "We had a plan and we were executing it. I have understood that if you have to hit every ball or play at a strike rate of 200, playing with intent is important. Every team makes a plan against me. In such a situation, it depends on my preparation. I will trust my instincts."

'This is My Comfort Zone'

When asked if hitting sixes is a high-risk strategy, he replied, "I don't think it's high risk, but for me, it's my comfort zone. I always want the team to be ahead because they want to utilise the first six overs, and I have practised this even before the nets. If I get the score in the first three, four overs, you know, we always get the upper hand."

'I Am Not That Kind of Strong Guy'

When asked whether he practises range-hitting, he said he does not and added that he would never do range-hitting because he is not that kind of strong batter. He said he considers himself more of a timing-based batter, explaining that he mainly needs to watch the ball and adapt to the conditions, especially as the team is currently playing across different parts of India. He added that he has to adjust very quickly according to the conditions and usually plans his approach a day in advance or whenever he gets a net session.

'I Don't Have Many Shots'

Regarding which ball to hit, Abhishek said, "If you watch videos of your batting, you get an idea of where the bowler is planning to bowl or perhaps where I will play my shots. But, it's always about trusting my shots because I don't have many shots. I just have a few shots that I practice a lot and execute them."