Last Updated: October 24, 2026 07:10 PM
Cricket records usually fall slowly, but some players break them in a flash. One young Indian star did exactly that during a busy match against New Zealand.
Abhishek Sharma Makes History in the Powerplay
Abhishek hit 100 sixes in the powerplay during the second T20I against New Zealand. He became the first player in T20I history to reach that mark. He reached the milestone on October 24, 2026, in the second match of the NZ vs IND series.
Rohit Sharma held the old record with 98 powerplay sixes. He hit those sixes off 1,672 balls, taking much longer.
Abhishek needed only 776 balls to reach 100 powerplay sixes. Former New Zealand batter Martin Guptill sits next on the list with 97 powerplay sixes.
In the same innings, he became the second Indian batter in 2026 to pass 1,000 T20I runs. Ishan Kishan was the first Indian batter to reach that figure this year.
A Look at His Recent Form
Abhishek Sharma has batted well for India lately but struggled to turn starts into big scores. He lost the top spot in the ICC T20I batting rankings and now sits at No. 2.
He played well against Afghanistan, but the West Indies series felt much quieter. He managed only one half-century in that series against the West Indies.
India’s Chase and the Story So Far
India chased down 226 runs in the first match of the series. The report calls it the highest successful run chase in T20I history. Abhishek and Sanju Samson added 93 runs in the powerplay during that chase.
New Zealand batted first in the second match after India chose to bowl. Glenn Phillips scored 70 runs off 43 balls, and Bevon Jacobs made 58. Their stand of 116 runs helped New Zealand reach 180.
What Happens Next in the Chase
India started fast but lost 5 wickets before reaching 70 runs. Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir were at the crease and tried to rebuild the innings. Tilak scored 51* runs off 26 balls and helped India win by 4 wickets.
Abhishek Sharma has already earned a special place in cricket history. Few batters ever become the first player in T20I history to own a record like this.
