INDvsNZ 1st T20I: Abhishek Scripts Historic T20I Milestone

In the first T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand, India’s Abhishek Sharma scripted a new world record, while Suryakumar Yadav marked his 100th T20I appearance. Sharma smashed a blistering fifty off just 22 balls, becoming the first batter in world cricket to score eight T20I fifties in 25 balls or fewer.

Suryakumar Yadav, meanwhile, reached his T20I century milestone, joining an elite group of Indian cricketers alongside Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya. However, Yadav was dismissed shortly after contributing important runs, leaving India two wickets down.

Earlier, Sanju Samson fell cheaply for 10, and Ishan Kishan was dismissed for 8, making India’s start shaky despite Sharma’s blazing innings. The pitch has shown a spongy bounce, challenging batters to maintain control and timing.

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India’s middle order now shoulders the responsibility of accelerating the innings while protecting wickets. Abhishek Sharma’s record-breaking performance has injected momentum, giving India a chance to post a competitive total against New Zealand.

New Zealand’s bowlers, led by debutant Kristian Clarke, have been probing for early breakthroughs, successfully creating pressure on India’s fragile top order. The first T20I in Nagpur promises a thrilling contest as India looks to capitalise on Sharma’s record innings while New Zealand aims to contain the home side and build early momentum in the series.

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