Abhishek Sharma brought a Punjabi touch to India's team talk ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand. The young opener motivated his teammates to play their best cricket and show why India are world champions. His funny Punjabi rhyme left head coach Gautam Gambhir smiling and the other players laughing.
Abhishek' team talks gets rare Gambhir smile
In the video, the left-handed batter spoke about the mistakes India made during their recent 2-2 series draw against the West Indies. He urged his teammates to learn from those mistakes and start the New Zealand series with a strong mindset.
The funniest moment came when Abhishek added a traditional Punjabi boli, or folk verse, to his speech. He said, "Bari Barsi Khatan Gaya Si, Khatke Leanda Hand," before repeating the line and encouraging India to win their first match in New Zealand. His energetic delivery brought smiles, laughter and cheers from the players, including Gambhir.
Gambhir is often known for his serious expression during matches. However, Abhishek's Punjabi rhyme brought out a different side of the India head coach.
India backed up Abhishek's words with a thrilling five-wicket win in the opening T20I. Sanju Samson scored a half-century while Shreyas Iyer, Naman Dhir and Abhishek Sharma chipped in with cameos as Men in Blue chased down 225 in the final over to seal a 4-wicket win.
Glenn Phillips top scored for New Zealand with 82 but the total was not enough as India took a 1-0 lead in the 5-match series. It is India's highest successful chase in the format.
