IND vs NZ: Abhishek Sharma Hails Sanju Samson’s Selfless Sacrifice for India’s Fearless Approach
In the third T20I held in Wellington, Team India defeated the hosts, New Zealand, by 6 wickets, securing an unassailable 3-0 lead in the 5-match T20I series. The team stunned everyone by chasing down a challenging target of 199 runs in just 13.2 overs. Abhishek Sharma was the primary catalyst for this victory, smashing a century off just 34 balls—his fourth T20I century. In his 38-ball innings, he scored 113 runs, featuring 10 fours and 10 sixes. His opening partner, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, supported him, scoring 45 off 19 balls. The duo laid the foundation for India's win by stitching together an opening partnership of 133 runs in just 7.1 overs.
After the match, Abhishek Sharma mentioned how Sanju Samson sacrificed his preferred batting position, giving up his opening spot to Vaibhav and moving down to bat at number three. Abhishek noted that Sanju and the rest of the squad prioritize the team's needs over personal milestones, ensuring the team performs well.
"We opened today; Sanju bhai opened first. We can see that everyone in the team is selfless. I feel that the atmosphere that the team showed today, will make it easy for everyone," Abhishek said in a video released by BCCI.
"Like Sanju bhai played his innings in the last 2 matches, I feel everyone, someone is going at his position like Sanju bhai showed his character; I feel whole team did," he added.
In every match of this series, India has discovered a new hero: Sanju Samson led the team to victory in the first match, Tilak Varma in the second, and now Abhishek Sharma has guided the team across the finish line in the third.
Sanju Samson’s decision to vacate his opening slot and bat at number 3 reflects the flexibility and unity within the team. Following an injury to Ishan Kishan ahead of the second T20I, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was brought in to bat at number three but failed to make an impact. Consequently, Sanju Samson voluntarily sacrificed his preferred batting position for the third T20I to accommodate a lineup change.
