With his game-winning 79 off 34 balls against England in the opening Twenty20 International in Kolkata, India’s youthful opener Abhishek Sharma demonstrated a combination of attacking desire and composure. After the match, the southpaw talked about how the team management has given him confidence, enabling him to play cricket with fearlessness.
Abhishek’s explosive performance was a major factor in the home team’s seven-wicket victory as India’s five-match Twenty20 International series versus England got underway at the storied Eden Gardens. After the dismissals of Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson, the Men in Blue were having trouble chasing 133.
But England lost the game because of the young player’s bold strategy. He destroyed the English attack, hitting five fours and eight sixes, especially Adil Rashid and Mark Wood. When questioned about his strategy, Abhishek attributed his clarity to the team atmosphere.
“I’ve always considered myself to be a team player. There will always be fierce rivalry in India for our senior team’s selection. During the post-match news conference, Abhishek stated, “But it was a big moment for me when Suryakumar and Gautam paaji told me to always keep my intent. I can do that when the team wants me to.”
All they want is for me to show off my skills: Abhishek Sharma
He disclosed that the players have been expertly managed by the head coach and captain, who have offered the right direction and encouragement even when results have fallen short of expectations.
“If you don’t score runs in three or four innings, it may be frustrating for a batter, but the way the captain and coach have handled every player, even when I haven’t performed well, they still tell us, ‘We know you’re going to win the game for us, any game, just go and express yourself. “I believe you gain confidence and support yourself when the coach or captain says this,” he continued.
The batter from Punjab, who still works closely with the legendary Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, gave the former credit for mentoring him. He also gave gratitude to the present head coach of SRH, a West Indian great, for fulfilling the position of mentor.
“I think I’m really fortunate about this. Initially, I worked with Yuvi Paaji. Brian Lara was a huge assistance to me at SRH going ahead. Dan Vettori was really straightforward going ahead; he merely wanted people to express themselves, and I believe that allowed me to play my shots. Therefore, it’s clear that Yuvraj Singh, Brian Lara, and even Gauti bhai want me to support myself and show off my skills as a player right now,” Abhishek continued.
Additionally, Abhishek gave gratitude to assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak for their assistance in simulating game situations during practice.
“Kotzy sir [Sitanshu Kotak] and Abhishek Nayar bhai deserve special recognition. Both assisted me in obtaining comparable bowlers in the nets. I always think that when I go into a match or event, I hope to face bowlers who are similar to myself. For me, choosing a shot is really easy. “I observe the ball and respond,” the southpaw said.
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