Abhishek Sharma’s Rollercoaster International Debut
On July 6 (Saturday), Abhishek Sharma didn’t have the best of starts to his international career, walking away without troubling the scorers in the first T20I against Zimbabwe. However, the left-hander wasn’t fazed by the failure on debut, showing his class with a staggering century in the second T20I.
Stellar IPL Season
Abhishek was coming off a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) season, where he scored 484 runs at a strike rate of 204.22. He replicated his IPL form in the second T20I, scoring a century off 46 balls with seven fours and eight sixes.
From Duck to Century
In the aftermath of his blazing century, Abhishek credited the IPL for easing the pressure of playing international cricket. “I think IPL plays a big role in this because as a youngster, as a debutant, we didn’t feel much pressure when we came to represent the country,” Abhishek said.
Approach and Intent
Abhishek emphasized the importance of mindset and intent in T20 cricket. “It’s always a great motivation once you are playing for the country. Unfortunately, it didn’t go well in yesterday’s game, but my mindset and intent were the same. I had a word with the other debutants too, we’ve all played cricket together a long time, since U14 days I’d say. It’s all about approach in T20, about intent. If I show intent and if it is my day, it usually goes like this,” he added.
IPL Success with Sunrisers Hyderabad
Abhishek was one of the stars at the 2024 IPL, where his power-hitting abilities were crucial for Sunrisers Hyderabad, who reached their first IPL final in six years. His influence in the powerplay was one of the major reasons India picked him in the first place, with 343 of his IPL runs coming in the first six overs.
Hard Work and Support
“All this is due to the hard work I’ve done. Special thanks to my dad who always encouraged me to play lofted shots even when I was a kid. Usually, coaches don’t allow you to play lofted shots much. My dad used to tell me that if you want to play a lofted shot, it should go out of the ground. For me, it’s always been there from my childhood that if I’m confident, I like to express myself,” he added.
Early Promise and Achievements
Since he first shone in the 2016 Youth Asia Cup for the U-19 squad, Abhishek was always touted to reach greater heights, including playing a vital role in India’s 2018 U-19 World Cup.
A Beautiful Journey
“The journey has been very beautiful,” Abhishek reflected. “When we started playing, we were around 10-11 years old and we have been playing since U12 together. The ultimate goal was to represent the country. I have said this before that the first call I got (about selection) was from Shubman, he was very happy,” he said.
Special Bond with Shubman Gill
“I played with his [Shubman’s] bat today and it went really well, special thanks to him for the bat. This happens from the U12 days, whenever I think it’s a pressure game or it’s a match I should perform, I take his bat. Even in the IPL, I ask for his bat. Even today it went really well.”(Dubai7 realmoneygame)