AB De Villiers hails Abhishek Sharma amid Asia Cup, says he is the power player

Former South African captain AB de Villiers has lauded Abhishek Sharma amid the ongoing Asia Cup, stating he is a power player. Sharma is currently the number one T20I batter in the ICC rankings and he has been consistently delivering for India in the shortest format.

The left-hander scored a blistering knock of 30 runs off just 16 balls in the team’s opening game of the Asia Cup against UAE at Dubai. The southpaw has scored 565 runs in 18 T20I matches at an average of 33.24 and a blistering strike rate of 193.50.

Sharma is known to hit the ground running in T20Is and takes the attack on the opposition bowlers from the get-go.

“I think he is the power player. He loves slower balls and flat bats in the V. Incredible power and great hand-eye coordination. He finds the middle of the bat more often than most players. He is a handful in that first six overs. He hits it all over the ground, which is a problem for the opposition bowlers and captain. Just really difficult to bowl to, you need to be spot on with your execution if you want to counter his ability,” AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel. 

On the other hand, AB also shed light on Suryakumar Yadav’s approach in T20Is. The former Proteas batter said SKY can use the bowler’s pace to his advantage and score consistently all around the ground.

“SKY has always been the guy who has been exceptional at using the pace and understanding the game. He is a good reader of the situation and what the bowler is trying to do to get him out. He is very good with the flick shots and placement,” he said. 

“When you face slower balls you need the ability to keep your base and shape for a longer period of time and allow the ball to come into your space. I won’t say its his weakness. Especially if he doesn’t get out to it often. My advice to him would be if you are struggling to clear the boundary in front of square off slower balls, just make sure you rotate, maybe get two runs, the bowler can’t just always bowl slower balls. I dont think it is a weakness,” AB De Villiers added.

India will take on Pakistan on Sunday in the continental tournament.