The lefthander has stepped up to the occasion in style
Abhishek Sharma has been a revelation ever since the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season began and on Wednesday he established his place in the Indian T20I side with a smashing 79 off 34 balls in the first T20I against England in Kolkata. The southpaw was in remarkable form as he belted the English attack to all corners at Eden Gardens. But even as the knock played out, there remained question marks on whether he can have a sustained run in the Indian T20I side when the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill return.
Even though Abhishek has been part of India’s Under-19 and a regular for Punjab, scoring 484 runs from 14 matches at a sparsely-believable strike rate of 204 immediately put him on the radar for national selection.
There were almost no flaws in his game. He could play all the classical shots, thread the ball through tiny gaps in the field but most importantly could clear the ropes with effortless ease.
Consequently, he was handed his T20I debut in the series against Zimbabwe where he was out for a duck. Not an ideal to an aspiring career, but in the very next match he smashed 100 off 47 balls at a strike rate of 212.
His devastating effect at the top was once again visible during the tour of South Africa where he clobbered 50 off 25 balls at Centurion which was overshadowed by Tilak Varma’s brilliant 107 not out. His non-selection for the 2024 T20 World Cup was understandable as the team was flush with experience, but as the seniors bowed out with a title triumph its not possible to ignore Abhishek anymore.
His blitz of 79 off just 34 balls in the first T20I against England on Wednesday adds more to that argument. The southpaw was fearless with his shots, specifically taking on the fiery pace of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer. He carted the England duo for 29 runs off 13 balls which involved two gorgeous hits over deep fine leg and third man. There was also a hint of non-chalance in the manner how he dispatched Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson and Adil Rashid for boundaries. By the time he was out for 79 off 34 balls, India had the game in the bag.
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There were a couple of mishits where he escaped getting caught, but this was a man of supreme confidence. Abhishek’s innings made Indian bowlers’ good work count and made England’s world-class bowling attack look silly.
Sanju Samson’s splendid form and Abhishek’s effortless batting should give India a glimpse into the team for 2026 T20 World Cup to be played in familiar conditions at home and in Sri Lanka. Under Gautam Gambhir, the team had decided to follow the blueprint of having two fixed opening spots followed by a malleable middle-order, a strategy which could help Abhishek cement his place in the format.
His left-arm spin is also a useful weapon and it could just be the one that would give him the edge over someone like Gill in India’s T20I XI. The competition for places will make Abhishek’s bowling a secondary skill, but for now his form and confidence is enough to possibly give him a long line of chances.
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