Fresh from smashing a 35-ball century against New Zealand in Wellington T20I, Abhishek admitted that the feat was not easy to achieve before wondering what kind of cricket Yuvraj was playing back in 2007.Yuvraj had congratulated Abhishek on his match-winning knock but also joked that the left-hander still could not score a fifty off 12 balls. The remark came after Abhishek produced a breathtaking innings to help India beat New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20I in Wellington on Tuesday, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Screengrab from Yuvraj Singh Instagram Asked about Yuvraj's dig during the post-match presentation, Abhishek laughed off the challenge and explained why scoring 50 off 12 deliveries was easier said than done."I mean, I've said this before as well. I don't know what cricket he was playing back at that time, but it's not that easy at all.

And 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," Abhishek told the broadcasters. The left-hander also made it clear that chasing personal milestones was not the plan.

Instead, he and teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi wanted to make the most of the powerplay and put New Zealand under pressure from the outset.NZ vs IND, 3rd T20I: Scorecard | Highlights "As a batter, we don't go for that milestone. We always want to win the game for the team, especially Vaibhav.

He's here. So that was the plan, and that's what we want to take throughout the series as well, and it went well," he added.PLAN BEHIND MATCH-WINNING KNOCKAbhishek's 38-ball 113 powered India to a remarkable chase of 199, with the visitors reaching their target in just 13.2 overs.

The opener said observing the pitch and making use of the ground dimensions helped him and Sooryavanshi settle on their approach."I think the key was pretty simple. It was just me and Vaibhav, just going to enjoy there for a bit, especially in the powerplay.

And especially when we were fielding, we were observing the pitch a bit because of this extra bounce. But I feel the dimensions of the ground, we could use the powerplay and we could use the pace as well," he said."That was the easy plan.

And then, obviously, the way he started the first over, Vaibhav, I think that was really special. And that was the plan for us, get the momentum for the team and then just keep going."The 25-year-old also credited India's coaching staff for the preparation that went into his innings, particularly the work with sidearm deliveries during training."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. And it's just, I feel that preparation is really important as a batter," Abhishek 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.

We had a good practice session yesterday, and I just wanted to utilise it, and that's what I did. And I feel I pretty much, you know, manifested this innings, and it happened."ABHISHEK, SOORYAVANSHI TAKE NZ ATTACK APARTIndia's opening pair made a mockery of the 199-run target, adding 133 runs in just 7.1 overs.

Sooryavanshi smashed 45 off 19 balls, while Abhishek dominated the attack with 11 sixes and nine fours.The assault began in the first over itself, with Jacob Duffy conceding 26 runs. India raced to 100 in five overs before finishing the powerplay at 118, setting a new record for the highest score in the first six overs of a T20 innings.Abhishek brought up his half-century in just 15 balls and completed his century off 35 deliveries.

He celebrated the landmark with his trademark meditation pose before eventually being dismissed for 113.Earlier, Daryl Mitchell had led New Zealand's innings with an unbeaten 89 off 52 balls. Finn Allen scored 40 off 25 deliveries, while Bevon Jacobs remained unbeaten on 39 off 23 balls as the hosts finished at 198 for three.However, Abhishek and Sooryavanshi ensured the total was never enough.

India completed the chase with 40 balls to spare, sealing their third successive T20I series victory in New Zealand after winning 5-0 in 2020 and 1-0 in 2022.- Ends