Abhishek Sharma made 29 in 12 balls in first T20I against New Zealand.
India opener Abhishek Sharma brought a Punjabi touch to his motivational speech ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand, which was played on October 22 in Christchurch. India opted to bowl first in the first game, and New Zealand posted 225/4, with Glenn Phillips top-scoring with 82*, while Finn Allen made 45.
Abhishek Sharma made 29 off 12 balls and added 93 runs for the first wicket with Sanju Samson in just 5.5 overs. Samson made 67 runs, while Shreyas Iyer made 42, as the duo helped the Indian chase get back on track after two quick wickets.
In the end, Naman Dhir smacked 42* off 15 balls to steer India to a win by 4 wickets as they chased down their highest target in T20Is and went 1-0 up in the series.
India was coming to the New Zealand T20Is with a 2-2 series level against the West Indies at home. India was not at their best, as the West Indies once chased down 249 runs and then made 247 while batting first.
Abhishek stated that the team committed a few errors in their 2-2 draw against West Indies at home and played against them as though they were their friends. He motivated the team to show the Kiwis that they are world champions.
"Few things from my side. I think against the West Indies we made a few mistakes; we played them as our friends. I think the same with these guys. They (NZ) are going to challenge us in that way as well. So, let us show them why we are world champions. We are going to dominate here, and we are going to win from the very first game,” Abhishek Sharma said in a video shared by BCCI.
Bringing out a traditional Punjabi 'boli' or a verse, he motivated his team by saying, "And in Punjabi we say, if we rhyme well, we will perform well. So, Bari Barsi Khatan Gaya Si, Khatke Leanda Hand... Bari Barsi Khatan Gaya Si, Khatke Leanda Hand... Chalo Aaj Aapa Pehla Jitiye Match In New Zealand!"
To this traditional expression by Abhishek, the Men in Blue, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, responded with a lot of laughs, smiles, and cheers.
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India and New Zealand will clash in the second T20I in Christchurch on October 24.
(ANI inputs)