World No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma top-scored for India in the third T20I against South Africa, which was played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday (December
14). The 25-year-old left-handed batter faced 18 balls and, with the help of three fours and three sixes, scored 35 runs. But he didn’t win the Player Of The Match award in the contest that India won by 7 wickets after chasing down the 118-run target in 15.5 overs for the loss of three wickets.
Instead the award was bagged by Abhishek’s Punjab teammate Arshdeep Singh. Arshdeep, who is India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, bowled four overs for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side and dismissed two South African batters for 13 runs.
Apart from Arshdeep, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav also dismissed two South African batters each in the third T20I.
After winning the POTM award in the third T20I, Arshdeep dedicated it to his 10-month-old niece who was present at the HPCA Stadium on Sunday.
Arshdeep overtakes Bhuvneshwar
Arshdeep led India’s bowling attack in the third T20I on Sunday and opened his wicket account in the first over itself by dismissing Reeza Hendricks.
On the fourth ball of the first over, he trapped Hendricks in front of the wickets. The right-handed batter was given not out by the on-field umpire, but Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav challenged the decision after Arshdeep insisted, and in the replays the ball was hitting the stumps, because of which the decision was reversed and the batter was given out.
The wicket of Hendricks, who made a three-ball duck, helped Arshdeep break Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s record of taking the most wickets for India in the powerplay over of T20I matches.
Bhuvneshwar has dismissed 47 batters so far in the first six overs of T20I matches for Team India, whereas Arshdeep now has 48 wickets to his credit.
The world record for taking the most wickets in the powerplay in T20Is is in the name of former New Zealand pacer Tim Southee. Southee dismissed 58 batters in the first six overs of T20I matches.
Southee is followed by Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi. Afridi has dismissed 55 batters so far in the first six overs.
