India will look to extend their lead in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand when the two teams meet in the second match at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Ahead of the contest, Indian opener Abhishek Sharma delivered a motivational speech to his teammates, adding a Punjabi touch that brought smiles and laughter to the dressing room.
Abhishek played an important role in India’s thrilling victory in the series opener, scoring 29 off just 12 deliveries. His 93-run opening partnership with Sanju Samson helped India build momentum in their pursuit of a daunting target of 226. Although New Zealand fought back during the middle overs, Naman Dhir’s unbeaten 42 off 15 balls guided India to a memorable four-wicket win and a 1-0 series lead.
Abhishek Sharma urges Team India to show why they are world champions
During his address to the team, Abhishek pointed out that India had made mistakes during their recent T20I series against West Indies, which ended in a 2-2 draw. He suggested that the players had approached their opponents too casually and warned them against repeating the same mistake against New Zealand.
“Few things from my side. I think against West Indies we did few mistakes, that we played them as our friends. I think same with these guys. They (NZ) are going to challenge us in that way as well. So, let us show them why we are world champions,” Abhishek said.
He then reminded his teammates that New Zealand would also pose a serious challenge and encouraged them to demonstrate their quality on the field. Abhishek’s Punjabi-style delivery made the speech even more entertaining, with several Indian players and head coach Gautam Gambhir responding with smiles, laughter and cheers. The moment offered a glimpse into the team’s dressing-room atmosphere ahead of an important fixture.
Here’s the video:
🗣️ 𝙇𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨
Abhishek Sharma’s fiery huddle speech set the tone 🔥#TeamIndia backed it up with a clinical victory 💪#NZvIND | @OfficialAbhi04 pic.twitter.com/DAu4PDiUdw
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2026
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India look to build on thrilling win over New Zealand
India entered the series with confidence after chasing down 226 in the opening T20I. Samson led the charge with 67 off 33 balls, while Abhishek’s quickfire contribution helped establish an explosive start. New Zealand had earlier posted 225/4, their highest home T20I total against India, courtesy of Glenn Phillips’ unbeaten 82 off 40 deliveries and Finn Allen’s 45 off 24 balls. Bevon Jacobs also provided late acceleration with 31 off 16 deliveries.
India briefly lost control of the chase after a middle-order collapse, but Shreyas Iyer scored 42 off 28 balls before Dhir produced a match-winning finish. India eventually reached 230/6 in 19.4 overs. With the second T20I approaching, Abhishek’s message underlined the importance of maintaining intensity and respecting the opposition. India will aim to carry their winning momentum forward, while New Zealand will look to bounce back and level the series.
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