Abhishek’s 84 guides India to 48-run win over NZ in first...

Key Highlights

• In reply, Glenn Phillips (78 off 40 balls) did indulge in some scary hitting in company of Mark Chapman (39 off 24 balls) as they added 79 off just seven overs but scoreboard pressure was such that they were eventually buried under a deluge of runs.
• New Zealand’s final reply was 190 for 7 with Varun Chakravarthy (2/37) again picking up crucial wickets while Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya provided initial breakthroughs.
• In the past 12 months, one format where Indian team has looked unbeatable is the shortest one and the primary reason being the 25-year-old Abhishek, whose Key Responsibility Area (KRA) in the T20 national team is to leave the opposition bowlers scared as well as scarred.
• On the day, the world’s top ranked T20I batter showed no mercy while making the Black Cap fielders look like mere bystanders with eight towering sixes and five fours.
• Abhishek’s carefree hitting also helped his skipper Suryakumar Yadav (32 off 22 balls) get some runs although he was far from his best.