Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has showered praise on Abhishek Sharma’s knock in the opening T20I against New Zealand. India won the opening T20I against New Zealand by 48 runs at Nagpur on Wednesday. Sharma continued his rich form, scoring a blistering knock of 84 runs off just 35 balls with the help of five fours and eight sixes to help India post 238 runs on the board.
The pugnacious southpaw batter completed his fifty off just 22 balls, which is the quickest half-century for an Indian batter in T20Is against New Zealand. The left-hander was able to hit the ground running against the Kiwis and batted at the top of his game.
“How well he plays. He hits sixes so easily. Two things make him extremely special. One is, where will a bowler bowl with the new ball? He keeps six players on the off side, keeps a slip, and looks for swing. So he will bowl outside the off-stump only, on the fourth to sixth stump,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“He will bowl either full or short, but keep it on that side only. He (Abhishek) goes over cover or hits straight sixes. Then the bowler comes around the stumps and tries to bowl on the body. He plays well on that side in any case. So the fact that he can play so well on the off side constantly and can consistently hit such good sixes, you have to doff your hat,” he added.
The renowned commentator praised Abhishek Sharma for his ability to hit the big shots against the spinners while maintaining his stance.
“Then comes spin. What will a spinner do? A spinner tries to bowl full so that he doesn’t get hit for sixes off the back foot. He tries to keep the ball within the three stumps so that he is not swept much, but once again, Abhishek Sharma hits straight sixes while standing in his position,” he said.
“Then if you come slightly on his body, he hits on the leg side. He is absolutely stellar. So one should clap for him. If he remains in this form, he is the guy. We called him the X-factor and Sunny ji said he is X, Y, Z, and all factors. I will say yes, sir. He is that kind of a player,” Chopra observed.
The second T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Raipur on Friday.
