'Still Can't Get 50 Off 12': Yuvraj Singh's Banter Gets Honest Abhishek Sharma Reply After Wellington Storm

Abhishek Sharma duting 3rd India vs New Zealand T20I.© X/@BCCI

Abhishek Sharma considers Yuvraj Singh his guru. Over the last few years, Abhishek has often found guidance from the great all-rounder. Both hail from Punjab and possess an aura of invincibility. Yuvraj played at a time when T20 cricket was still at a nascent stage and became its first global superstar. At the 2007 T20 World Cup, he slammed six sixes in an over against England. That feat helped him reach his fifty in just 12 balls, which remains the fastest T20I half-century by an Indian.

In the third India vs New Zealand T20I, Abhishek came close to matching that feat but narrowly missed out, reaching the landmark in 15 balls. He later went on to complete his century in 35 balls.

Shortly after the ton, Yuvraj Singh jokingly wrote on X: "You still can't get 50 off 12, can you @OfficialAbhi04! Looks like two left-handers batting in their backyard!"

You still can't get 50 of 12 can you 😜 @OfficialAbhi04! Looks like two left handers batting in their backyard! #IndVsNZ

— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) October 27, 2026

Abhishek, though, said he is not ready to take up his mentor's challenge of smashing a half-century off 12 balls, saying such feats are "not that easy", even as he struck a match-winning century against New Zealand in the third T20I on Tuesday. Responding to Yuvraj's playful social media message that he still could not score a fifty off 12 balls, Abhishek said batters do not chase such milestones.

His comments came after India registered a six-wicket, with the left-hander earning the Player of the Match award.

"I don't know what cricket he was playing back at that time, but it's not that easy at all," Abhishek said during the presentation ceremony. I would say if any batter wants to go there and bat like that, it's not easy at all. You can't just go and score 50 off 12 balls. It just happens once in a while," he added.

Abhishek said the focus, particularly for him and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, was to get the team off to a flying start.

"As a batter, we don't go for that milestone. We always want to win the game for the team. So that was the plan, and that's what we want to take throughout the series as well, and it went well," he said.

Abhishek credited the coaching staff and the extensive practice with sidearm deliveries for helping him execute his natural game.

"I feel it's not that, I wouldn't say it's easy, that easy, but it's just the preparation behind the scenes. I would say a special mention to our coaches because of the sidearms; we've been playing them a lot," he said.

"If you see the conditions and the dimensions, that's always in your mind, and then you have to keep the bowlers also in your mind and play the shots according to the bowlers. And that's all I do."

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