Daryl Mitchell hails Abhishek Sharma's Wellington 113: A knock people won't forget

NZ vs IND: Daryl Mitchell praised Abhishek Sharma's sensational 113 off 38 balls, calling his hitting world-class. On Tuesday, Abhishek powered India to a six-wicket win over New Zealand, giving the visitors an unassailable 3-0 lead in the T20I series.Abhishek Sharma scored 113 in the Wellington T20I. Courtesy: AFPNew Delhi,Oct 27, 2026 18:25 ISTDaryl Mitchell has hailed Abhishek Sharma’s breathtaking century in Wellington, saying India’s explosive opener produced an innings that people would not forget for a long time. Abhishek smashed 113 off just 38 balls to power India to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third T20I on Tuesday, October 27, as the visitors chased down a target of 199 in just 13.2 overs.New Zealand had posted a formidable 198/3 in their 20 overs, with Mitchell leading the way with an unbeaten 89 off 52 balls. However, their total proved insufficient as Abhishek dismantled the bowling attack, helping India take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.New Zealand vs India, 3rd T20I: Highlights | Scorecard“Yeah, I think we were pretty confident with 200 on the board. Obviously, batting first, we felt the ball was sitting in the pitch a little bit and there was some extra bounce. We were hoping that would happen in the second innings as well, along with the dew factor and all those sorts of things. But at the same time, the way Abhishek played was pretty special. We'll take our hats off to him and say well played,” Mitchell said in the post-match press conference. “Some of that hitting was world-class, and that's why he is one of the best in the world at what he does. You take your hat off and say well played. It was definitely his night, and I'm sure it's one that people won't forget for a long time,” Mitchell added.HOW ABHISHEK SHARMA ROCKED NEW ZEALANDAbhishek’s innings was a masterclass in aggressive batting, combining clean striking with remarkable consistency. He hammered 11 sixes and nine fours, reaching his century in just 35 balls. He also became the Indian batter with the most centuries in T20 cricket, taking his tally to 11 and going past Virat Kohli. Abhishek combined with 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who smashed 45 off 19 balls, to produce a sensational 133-run opening partnership. Their assault yielded 118 runs in the powerplay, breaking the previous record of 116 for the highest powerplay total in men’s T20Is. India raced to victory with 40 balls to spare, making light work of the New Zealand bowling attack.With the series decided, India will look to maintain their momentum when the fourth T20I takes place in Auckland on Friday, October 30. New Zealand, meanwhile, will aim to salvage some pride in the remaining two matches after losing the first three games of the series.- Ends