The last and 5th match of the five-match T20 series between India and New Zealand is being played at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. In this match, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and decided to bat first. At the same time, Abhishek Sharma, who came to open, showed his stormy temperament at the very beginning of the innings. He did not score any runs on the first two balls, but opened the team's account by hitting a long six off Jacob Duffy on the third ball. But due to this shot the umpires had to change the ball also.
Abhishek Sharma once again opened his account in this series by hitting a six. He played a shot over the cover on the ball of Jacob Duffy and scored 6 runs, which filled the fans present in the stadium with enthusiasm. But right after this brilliant six, a unique incident happened. The umpires examined the ball and found that it had lost its shape. Actually, after the six was hit, the ball hit the concrete or any hard surface beyond the boundary, due to which its shape got distorted.
…and the *ABHI-SIX SHARMA SHOW* has begun!
He gets off the mark with a maximum. How many sixes will he smash tonight? #INDvNZ 5th T20I
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— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 31, 2026
According to the rules, if the shape of the ball used in a match deteriorates, it is necessary to replace it. The umpires immediately decided to bring the new ball and the play stopped for a while. This incident happened in the opening over of the match itself, which surprised the fans. Abhishek Sharma continued his stormy innings and scored a total of 14 runs in the first over, which included 1 six and 2 fours.
Abhishek Sharma gave a stormy start in this match, but he could not convert it into a big score. Abhishek Sharma was out after scoring 30 runs in 16 balls. During this, he batted at a strike rate of 187.50 and hit 4 fours and 2 sixes. But Lockie was caught by a brilliant ball from Ferguson and was clean bowled.
