“His attitude has always been to learn something from every player” – Former KKR skipper lauds Abhishek Sharma’s century in NZ vs IND 2026 3rd T20I

Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane has lauded Abhishek Sharma for scoring a match-winning century in the third T20I between India and New Zealand. The analyst pointed out that the left-handed opener’s eagerness to learn holds him in good stead.

India restricted New Zealand to 198/3 after Shreyas Iyer won the toss and asked them to bat first in Wellington on Tuesday, October 27. Abhishek smashed 113 runs off 38 balls in the chase as the Men in Blue achieved the target with six wickets and 40 balls to spare, sealing the five-match series 3-0 ahead of the final two games.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Rahane praised Abhishek for batting destructively and for never being complacent.

“He has developed his game so much. It seems like he comes into every innings after learning a lot. He spoke about meditation and being calm. He is calm on the inside but doubly aggressive on the outside,” the former India batter said.

“It’s extremely enjoyable, and he learns. We have played a few matches together for Indian Oil. His attitude has always been to learn something from every player. He has never become complacent, and when you are eager to learn, you see this consistency,” he added.

Abhishek Sharma hit nine fours and 11 sixes during his 113-run knock. He was eventually caught by Glenn Phillips at deep midwicket off Kyle Jamieson’s bowling while attempting another big shot.

“Every ball was a free hit for him” – Ajinkya Rahane on Abhishek Sharma’s explosive century

In the same discussion, Ajinkya Rahane noted that Abhishek Sharma treated virtually every ball as a free hit.

“It’s an extremely special moment for him. Every ball was a free hit for him. When the actual free hit came, he played like that only,” he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Abhishek’s explosive knocks and consistency instill confidence in the batters down the order.

“We were talking about his celebration. When you are calm on the inside and your brain is calm, you can achieve this thing repeatedly. The way Abhishek played and the consistency he is showing, when an opener plays like this, the incoming batters get a different confidence,” Rahane observed.

Abhishek Sharma added 133 runs for the first wicket with Vaibhav Suryavanshi in just 7.1 overs. The latter scored a 19-ball 45, a knock studded with fours and as many sixes.

Edited by Kartik Iyer