Abhishek Sharma’s blistering display of power-hitting ensured India sealed a thumping eight-wicket win over New Zealand in Guwahati to gain an unassailable 3–0 lead in the series. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Amul Cricket Live’, JioStar experts Sunil Gavaskar and Simon Doull heaped praise on the hosts’ fearless brand of cricket ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026.
Speaking on ‘Amul Cricket Live’, JioStar expert Sunil Gavaskar spoke about Abhishek Sharma’s half-century off 14 deliveries, the second fastest by an Indian in T20I cricket, drawing comparisons to Yuvraj Singh:
“I think that kind of a record is very, very hard to beat. Getting to a fifty in just two overs is extremely tough. But what Abhishek Sharma has shown over the last several matches is that he is capable of doing that. He has scored a fifty in 14 deliveries in this match and in 16 deliveries on another, so he keeps getting closer. I think the happiest person will be Yuvraj Singh. Make no mistake about it, that his record has been taken by someone he is mentoring. That’s what happens when your record is broken. You would rather see another Indian take it. When my record of centuries was surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar, yes, there is a small tinge when a record is taken away, no question about that. But who took it? Sachin Tendulkar, another Indian. So, you don’t feel bad about it at all.”
On Suryakumar Yadav’s form ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026:
“I think that his knock the other day in Raipur gave him exactly the confidence he needed. He hasn’t been short of form; he’s been short of runs. What he has been saying is that he has been batting very well in the nets. He’s not struggling there, he’s hitting the ball cleanly and all around the ground. It just wasn’t working for him in matches. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of luck to get going. This time, he didn’t even need luck. That innings was exactly what he needed. It boosted his confidence, and the shots he played were simply amazing.”
On India’s confidence and depth:
“India has complete confidence in themselves. When you have players like Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya batting down the order, and they haven’t even needed to bat in two matches, and India is still winning comfortably, it tells you the kind of caliber this team has. In a 20-over game, if a batter tells himself that he has five or seven overs, he can look to score off almost every ball. It doesn’t always have to be a boundary or a six, it could be a couple of runs, but the idea is to make every ball count. That belief is clearly visible. Even if there is a small stumble, this team knows it can recover, regroup, and continue marching towards victory.”
On India’s preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026:
“This series is like an appetizer; the main course begins from the 7th of February. Having won the series, the focus now is on defending the World Cup title. These players are preparing thoroughly. Some of them haven’t even had the chance to bat, so they are working on range-hitting, timing, rhythm, bat flow, and pick-up. It shows the focus of this team; they are not taking the World Cup lightly and not taking anything for granted.”
Speaking on ‘Amul Cricket Live’, JioStar expert Simon Doull elaborated on India’s all-round dominance:
“We will talk a lot about the batting, and rightly so, but it was the bowling and fielding that dominated in this game. On a very good surface, the bowling performances from Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Bishnoi, and Hardik Pandya, who picked up a couple of wickets, set the game up, while defending 153. That was superb. When you then add the batting power of Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ishan Kishan, and the fact that they bat so deep with Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, and Hardik coming in at five, six, and seven, there is so much to like about how this team is playing. This performance has sent a clear notice to the rest of the world: if India plays with this same freedom at the World Cup, they will be very difficult to beat.”
