Abhishek Sharma and Chris Gayle (Image credit: Agencies)
He smashed 69 off just 30 balls to help India register a 14-run victory and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. He became the sixth Indian men’s cricketer to score 2,000 runs in T20 internationals. At Holkar Stadium in Indore, Abhishek scored his 69 runs off 30 balls at a strike rate of 230. His aggressive start helped India post 223 runs, even though the team lost some momentum after his partnership with Ishan Kishan. Abhishek has also hit 68 sixes in T20Is this year, putting him level with India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav for the most sixes in a calendar year.
He also said the young batter’s name would be remembered for a long time. When Abhishek Sharma gets going, bowlers often find it difficult to stop him. The left-handed batter is known for his big sixes, aggressive start and ability to change a match within a few overs. Abhishek once again showed his hitting ability in the third T20I against the West Indies. Pujara believes Abhishek has already established himself as one of India’s best T20 players. The third T20I against the West Indies was another milestone match for Abhishek. He also became the fastest batter in men’s cricket to reach the milestone in terms of balls faced.
But the way Abhishek has performed, I think he is probably one of the best T20 players the Indian team has had so far,” said Pujara on JioStar. Now, in Hyderabad, he has played a lot on that ground, and that experience and familiarity matter, even in T20s,” Pujara said. “Nobody thought that he would cross such a big milestone so quickly. “His name will be remembered for a long time. When we talk about the T20 format, we immediately think of Chris Gayle from the West Indies. Abhishek has that kind of ability. The way he showed maturity, especially in Indore, by taking a little time, even though five-six balls is a lot of time for him, shows that he is understanding his game a little better, recognising the opposition’s strengths, and batting accordingly.