India began their five-match T20I series against New Zealand with an impressive four-wicket victory at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday. Chasing a challenging target of 226, the visitors reached 229/6 in 19.4 overs, registering their highest successful run chase in T20I cricket. Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Shreyas Iyer and Naman Dhir made valuable contributions to seal a memorable win.
A day after India’s impressive performance, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a behind-the-scenes video on X featuring Abhishek Sharma delivering an energetic speech to his teammates before the series opener.
In the viral video, the left-handed opener urged his teammates to play with the confidence of world champions. Abhishek also reflected on India’s recent T20I series against the West Indies, suggesting that the team had made mistakes by approaching their opponents too casually. He encouraged the Indian players to set the tone from the opening match and demonstrate their dominance against New Zealand.
ALSO READ: Amit Mishra Claims Virat Kohli Gave Him No Call Back After Promising India Comeback
โFew things from my side. I think, against West Indies, we did a few things wrong because we played them like they were our friends. I think itโs the same with these guys. They are going to challenge us in that way as well. So letโs show them why we are world champions. We are going to dominate here, and we are going to win from the very first game,” Abhishek Sharma said.
The 25-year-old then switched to Punjabi, adding a rhythmic line to motivate his teammates and create an upbeat atmosphere ahead of the contest.
๐ฃ๏ธ ๐๐๐ฉ’๐จ ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ก๐ ๐พ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ
Abhishek Sharma’s fiery huddle speech set the tone ๐ฅ
#TeamIndia backed it up with a clinical victory ๐ช
#NZvIND | @OfficialAbhi04 https://t.co/DAu4PDiUdw
โ BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2026
ย
โAnd in Punjabi, we say if we rhyme well, we will perform well. So bari barsi khatne gaya si khatke leanda hand, bari barsi khatne gaya si khatke leanda hand, chalo aaj aapka pehla jitiye match in New Zealand,” he added.
Before travelling to New Zealand, India hosted the West Indies for a five-match T20I series. The Men in Blue won the first and third matches, while the visitors claimed victories in the second and fourth games, chasing targets of more than 200 runs.
ALSO READ: Wasim Jaffer Backs Naman Dhir To Become a Match-Winner For India In T20Is
Abhishek’s pre-match message highlighted India’s determination to learn from those setbacks and approach the New Zealand challenge with greater intensity.
The opening victory has given India an early advantage in the series. The team will now look to carry that momentum into the second T20I as they aim to strengthen their position in the five-match contest.
