Star Abhishek Sharma’s Punjabi ‘Bari Barsi Khatan Gaya Si’ boli and motivational speech ahead of IND vs NZ 1st T20I goes viral.
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Abhishek Sharma Punjabi Boli Speech (Photo: BCCI/Screengrab)
Indian opener Abhishek Sharma brought a touch of Punjab to the Indian dressing room with a lively motivational speech ahead of the first T20I against New ZealandThe left-hander urged his teammates to play with confidence and remind the hosts why India are the reigning world champions.
Abhishek’s words came before India began their five-match T20I series in Christchurch on ThursdayThe team went on to produce a memorable performance, chasing down 226 runs to register a five-wicket win and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
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Abhishek Sharma urges India to play like World Champions
In a video shared by the BCCI, Abhishek spoke about the lessons India needed to take from their 2-2 T20I series draw against West Indies at homeHe said the team had made mistakes by treating their opponents too casually and warned his teammates not to repeat the same approach against New Zealand.
“Few things from my sideI think against West Indies we did few mistakes, that we played them as our friends,” he said.
Abhishek then reminded the players that New Zealand would also challenge them and asked the team to show its quality on the field.
“I think same with these guysThey (NZ) are going to challenge us in that way as wellSo, let us show them why we are world champions.”
He also backed India to make a strong start to the series, adding, “We are going to dominate here, and we are going to win from the very first game.”
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Abhishek Sharma’s fiery huddle speech set the tone
#TeamIndia backed it up with a clinical victory
#NZvIND | @OfficialAbhi04 https://t.co/DAu4PDiUdw
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2026
Punjabi ‘Boli’ brings smiles to Indian Dressing Room
Abhishek added a traditional Punjabi verse, known as a ‘boli’, to his speechThe playful lines brought a different energy to the dressing room and drew smiles and laughter from the players, including head coach Gautam Gambhir.
“And in Punjabi we say, if we rhyme well, we will perform wellSo, Bari Barsi Khatan Gaya Si, Khatke Leanda Hand… Bari Barsi Khatan Gaya Si, Khatke Leanda Hand… Chalo Aaj Aapa Pehla Jitiye Match In New Zealand!”
The speech proved a lively moment before India began their campaign, and the team followed it up with a successful chase in the series opener.
Sanju Samson and Naman Dhir star in India’s chase
New Zealand had posted 225/4, their highest total in a home T20I against IndiaGlenn Phillips led the charge with an unbeaten 82 off 40 balls, while Finn Allen scored 45 from 24 deliveries and Bevon Jacobs added 31 off 16 balls.
India responded through a 93-run opening stand between Sanju Samson and AbhishekSamson scored 67 off 33 balls, while Abhishek made a quick 29 from just 12 deliveries.
India then lost wickets in the middle overs, slipping from 93/1 to 122/4Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel helped steady the chase before Naman Dhir took charge with an unbeaten 42 off 15 ballsIyer contributed 42 from 28 deliveries as India completed the chase with two balls remaining.
The win gave India an early advantage in the series and turned Abhishek’s pre-match message into a fitting backdrop to their opening performance.
