India won the third T20I by six wickets to clinch the series 3-0
Batting first, New Zealand scored 198/3 on Tuesday, October 27
Abhishek Sharma smashed 113 runs to guide India to a comfortable win
Abhishek Sharma put on a show for Indian fans, smoking New Zealand's bowlers for towering sixes and boundaries on Tuesday, October 26, in Wellington.
During the third T20I of the five-match series, the opener came out all guns blazing as India set out to chase 199 runs and seal the series.
Without wasting any time, Abhishek raced to his fifty in just 14 balls, narrowly missing the chance to break mentor Yuvraj Singh's record for the fastest T20I fifty. Yuvraj holds the record, having reached the landmark in 12 balls.
Yuvraj was quick to react, teasing his apprentice for missing the milestone.
Yuvraj Singh tweeted: "You still can’t get 50 off 12 can you @OfficialAbhi04! Looks like two left-handers batting in their backyard!"
Abhishek's Reply
Abhishek Sharma went on to smash a brilliant 35-ball hundred. He was eventually dismissed for 113, missing out on finishing the match, but India went on to win by six wickets, clinching the series 3-0.
During the post-match presentation, when asked about his reaction to Yuvraj Singh's tweet, Abhishek admitted that it is not easy to go out and try to hit every ball. He praised his mentor for the brand of cricket he played back then, noting that he now truly understands the difficulty of power-hitting.
Abhishek said: "I don't know what kind of cricket he (Yuvraj) was playing back then. It's not easy at all."
