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In the 1st T20I against New Zealand at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, young sensation Abhishek Sharma continued his phenomenal run, reaching a milestone that directly impacts the legacy of his mentor and cricketing idol, Yuvraj Singh.
Abhishek Sharma outshines mentor Yuvraj Singh with explosive knock in IND vs NZ T20I at Nagpur
Abhishek has officially overtaken Yuvraj in the record for the most sixes hit by an Indian in T20 Internationals. Before the match, Abhishek was tied with Yuvraj at 74 sixes. He didn’t waste any time in the series opener, smashing his first maximum off Jacob Duffy in the very first over and then launching a barrage against Kyle Jamieson. By the time he reached his 22-ball half-century, the fastest by an Indian against New Zealand, he had cleared the boundary five times, comfortably moving past Yuvraj’s career total.
This achievement is particularly poetic given their relationship. Yuvraj, who famously hit six sixes in an over, has spent years honing Abhishek’s skills in the nets. Surpassing his mentor in just 34 innings (compared to Yuvraj’s 58) highlights the terrifying scoring rate Abhishek brings to the top of the order. While Yuvraj’s name is synonymous with the foundation of T20 cricket in India, Abhishek is quickly becoming the face of its future.
Most T20I Sixes for India (Updated):
- Rohit Sharma: 205
- Suryakumar Yadav: 156
- Virat Kohli: 124
- Hardik Pandya: 106
- KL Rahul: 99
- Abhishek Sharma: 81 (Surpassed Yuvraj Singh’s 74)
Also READ: REVEALED: The ‘Bangladesh’ reason behind James Neesham absence from IND vs NZ 1st T20I in Nagpur
Abhishek Sharma’s dominance in Nagpur against New Zealand
In the series opener against New Zealand at the VCA Stadium (January 21, 2026), Abhishek proved exactly why he is currently the world’s top-ranked T20I batter. Despite India losing Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan early in the Powerplay, Abhishek refused to dial back his aggression. He reached his half-century in just 22 balls, marking his seventh T20I fifty in under 25 deliveries. The highlight of his innings was a ruthless 20-run over against Glenn Phillips, where he dismantled the spin attack with ease. Partnering with Suryakumar Yadav, who was playing his 100th T20I, Abhishek powered India past the 100-run mark in less than 9 overs. He eventually fell for 84 runs off just 35 balls, leaving the field to a standing ovation after smashing 7 sixes and 5 fours. His strike rate of over 240 provided the perfect platform for India to set a massive target in this crucial T20 World Cup “dress rehearsal” series.
