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'Bari Barsi Khatan Gaya Si' - Abhishek Sharma brings Punjabi touch to motivational speech before 1st T20I

Abhishek Sharma energized the Indian squad before their opening T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch by reciting a traditional Punjabi verse. The batter urged his teammates to maintain a professional intensity against their opponents, drawing on lessons from previous encounters.

India faced a daunting 226-run target after New Zealand posted 225 for 4, fueled by an unbeaten 82 from Glenn Phillips and contributions from Finn Allen and Bevon Jacobs. In the chase, Abhishek and Sanju Samson provided a rapid 93-run opening partnership.

Despite a middle-order wobble, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel stabilized the innings before Naman Dhir secured the victory with a late flurry of runs. India's bowling unit faced challenges, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceding 49 runs while Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav, and Axar Patel each claimed a wicket.

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