Abhishek Sharma’s powerplay hitting in Guwahati didn’t just flatten New Zealand’s bowling — it left even seasoned eyes squinting at the bat. Ravichandran Ashwin, on his YouTube show Ash ki Baat, sounded almost stunned while breaking down the left-hander’s explosiveness after that 14-ball fifty, a knock that turned the match into a highlight reel before it even settled.
“Abhishek Sharma is batting at an incredible level in the powerplay, making 50 in just 14 balls. The way he is batting, even if wickets are falling, he is hitting long sixes. Yesterday in Guwahati, he smashed a straight six, and after hitting it, he was looking at his bat. I mean, he was looking straight at the bottom of the bat.”
Ashwin then explained why that moment mattered to him — the ball didn’t catch the “perfect” part of the blade, but it still sailed. For Ashwin, it was the cleanest proof of form meeting power.
“That shows the ball hit the bottom of the bat, but it still went for a six. The bat swing, the way he is batting, it is just amazing. I mean, this guy is God’s own child. I am telling you, what compliment can I even give him? The way he is batting is unbelievable,” he added.
Abhishek’s 14-ball fifty, made during India’s chase, has also reopened the debate around the benchmark for instant destruction in Indian T20 batting: Yuvraj Singh’s iconic 12-ball half-century. Abhishek fell short, but Ashwin’s take was clear — the distance between “almost” and “record” might not stay intact for long.
“Our friend Abhishek Sharma made a statement. He said it will be very difficult to beat Yuvraj Paji, 50 off 12 balls. I am saying, Abhishek, please do not be so humble. I am asking you, please, in India people like it when you speak humbly, I agree. But do not be that humble. I am telling you, Abhishek will not say it himself, but Yuvraj Paji’s 50 off 12 balls, whoever beats that in the near future, it will be Abhishek Sharma, I am telling you.”
The theatre in Guwahati had its own little postscript too — New Zealand players were spotted inspecting Abhishek’s bat after the assault, a visual that matched Ashwin’s “bottom of the bat” point almost perfectly.
