Attack first, attack hard – Abhishek Sharma resumes normal service
From the balcony of the away dressing room at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Varun Chakaravarthy watched Abhishek Sharma dismantle Afghanistan in a 32‑ball onslaught that left the result clear.
Abhishek’s first shot was a stunning inside‑out six over covers off Fazalhaq Farooqi. He took control after the opening partnership collapsed in the third over, smashing a six into the long‑off stands and a short‑ball through square‑leg in the same over. Farooqi’s expensive fifth over (26 runs) was met with a slower short ball for a six and a flat‑batted four.
Afghanistan’s pace lacked bite; the southpaw took full advantage. Mohammad Nabi was hit for back‑to‑back fours to finish the powerplay at 82/1, with Abhishek scoring exactly half of those runs in 15 deliveries. Rashid Khan was then hit for another inside‑out boundary over covers.
A few good deliveries from Noor Ahmad earned respect, but Abhishek’s aggression never waned. He hit a 15‑run over against Afghanistan’s most experienced bowler, including a six over mid‑wicket and a deep‑cover shot. By the end, he had 82 runs, seven sixes, and as many fours, becoming the second‑fastest to 6,000 T20 runs. His 14th sub‑25‑ball fifty is a record – the next best is nine by Suryakumar Yadav.
Statistically, Abhishek dismantled every option: 28 off nine pace deliveries (SR 311.1) and 54 off 23 spin deliveries (SR 234.78). He used his feet, punished loose deliveries, and kept his aggression calculated.
Context
Abhishek entered the Afghanistan series under pressure, having struggled in the first half of the T20 World Cup and scoring only 191 runs in the 10 previous T20Is of this cycle. Despite competition from Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the management’s faith remained intact. His performance proved the faith was well‑placed.
Conclusion
Abhishek Sharma’s aggressive innings not only secured a decisive win but also reaffirmed his place in the XI. Varun Chakaravarthy, reflecting from the balcony, noted the difficulty of bowling to such a forceful batsman and expressed empathy for Afghanistan’s spinners.
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