‘There’s thought behind the power’: Mark Chapman lauds Abhishek Sharma as Kiwis look to learn ahead of T20 World Cup

NEW DELHI: New Zealand batter Mark Chapman believes Abhishek Sharma’s breathtaking six-hitting spree is far more than raw aggression, calling it a product of sharp awareness and planning as the visitors look to take cues from the Indian opener ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup.

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Abhishek continued his scorching form on Sunday, smashing an unbeaten 68 off just 20 balls, including a 14-ball fifty, as India chased down a 154-run target in a mere 10 overs to seal an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series. The knock, laced with five towering sixes, underlined India’s dominance and left New Zealand searching for answers.




“To be honest, their batting has been dynamic and explosive,” Chapman said after the match. “I haven’t seen much of him play in person, but his six-hitting ability is second to none. Just the way he goes about it, he seems like he’s really putting some thought into his batting.”

Abhishek has tormented the Kiwis throughout the series. In the opening game, he smashed eight sixes in a blistering 35-ball 84 as India posted a daunting 238/7 before cruising to victory. Chapman admitted that when a batter is in such form, there is little margin for error.


“That’s just the nature of T20 cricket. When someone’s playing really well, they can be hard to stop at times,” he said. “There’s a lot for us to look at and review. In all three facets, we can definitely improve.”

Despite the series defeat, Chapman felt the contest against India was ideal preparation ahead of the World Cup, where New Zealand open their campaign against Afghanistan in Chennai on February 8.

“There’s no better preparation for a World Cup than facing one of the best T20 teams in the world,” he said. “It’s great to see the way they’re going about their business, so hopefully we can learn one or two things from them.”

Chapman also pointed to New Zealand’s powerplay struggles, contrasting them with India’s explosive starts. “It’s not ideal losing early wickets, but you have to give credit. I thought the Indians bowled really well,” he said, adding that the focus now is on fine-tuning over the final two games.


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