When you are making your way as a batter in India, it
helps to have a legend in your corner.
Abhishek Sharma brutally destroyed England's bowling by
striking 135 in India's crushing victory in the fifth T20.
It was the kind of assault his mentor Yuvraj Singh used to
inflict. Just ask Stuart Broad.
"He always wanted me to bat until 15 or 20 overs,"
Abhishek said after his destruction was complete - a knock of 54 balls which
included 13 sixes, the most by an India batter in T20s.
"Today was my day."
Abhishek had only just left the field, raising his bat as
the Mumbai crowd chanted his name, when Yuvraj delivered his verdict.
"That's where I want to see you," said Yuvraj.
"Proud of you."
Abhishek's relationship with his fellow left-hander Yuvraj
goes back to when their paths crossed while playing first-class cricket for
Punjab - Yuvraj at the end of his career, Abhishek at the start.
What began as a bond between team-mates has taken on a more
consistent mentorship in recent years.
"The big backlift and the flow of the bat is very
reminiscent of Yuvraj Singh," Test Match Special commentator Prakash
Wakankar told OceanNewsUK.
"Yuvi sees in Abhishek some of his unfulfilled career,
which was cut short."
On Abhishek's 24th birthday last year, Yuvraj posted a video
on Instagram of the pair practising in the nets. With Yuvraj watching on,
Abhishek crunched a straight six.
It was a shot he played repeatedly against England - a
towering strike off Brydon Carse the highlight.
"That was the special shot that Yuvraj mentioned
before, so he was happy with the shots," said Abhishek.
Abhishek's day in stats
Abhishek
hit India's highest score in a T20 international, beating Shubman Gill's
126 against New Zealand in 2023
It was
the sixth-highest individual T20 score in a match involving Test-playing
nations
His
fifty was scored from 17 balls, the second-fastest for an Indian batter
behind Yuvraj's 12-ball half-century against England in 2007
His
hundred came from 37 deliveries, the third-fastest hundred in a match
between Test-playing nations, behind Rohit Sharma and David Miller's
35-ball centuries in the format
He hit
13 sixes, a record for an India batter in a T20.
Born in Amritsar, made in the IPL
Abhishek, born in Amritsar as the youngest of three
siblings, is the perfect batter for his time in India.
After their lacklustre exit at the hands of England in the
2022 World Cup, Rohit Sharma set about implementing a more aggressive style.
Rohit led India to the T20 World Cup title in Barbados last
June and, when he retired in the aftermath, Abhishek was where India turned.
He was given a debut against Zimbabwe in July in India's
first series after lifting the trophy in Bridgetown and hit a century in the
second match.
"Abhishek scored a massive number of runs in the
under-16 nationals but really the transformation began when he went to
Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, having initially played for
Delhi Daredevils and not done much," said Wakankar.
Abhishek had a solid IPL season in 2023 but it was last year
he made his name.
He was united with Australia batter Travis Head at the top
of the order and together the pair helped Sunrisers break the record for the
competition's highest total twice.
Abhishek, able to work with Sunrisers batting coach Brian
Lara, scored at a devastating strike-rate of 204.21 across 16 matches.
He scored 484 runs in the season despite never playing an
innings lasting more than 29 balls. Against England, he took on all of that
brutal yet elegant power-hitting, only this time went on to play the
match-winning hand.
"A very welcome change is to see more and more of that
Yuvi-esque full face and flow of the bat," said Wakankar.
"He gives it the full swing when he plays either side
of the wicket and has a good flick when he gets inside the line of the
ball."
'As good as you will see'
All of Abhishek's 13 sixes resulted in England's diet of
extreme pace or spin being hit between backward point and long-on.
He reached 50 in 17 balls - only Yuvraj himself had got
their quicker - and his hundred in 37.
It meant England were hit for 100 in the first 6.3 overs and
247 in their 20 - the second-most they have ever conceded.
"I've played quite a lot of cricket and credit to
Abhishek Sharma, that ball striking was as clean as I've seen," said
England captain Jos Buttler. "He played fantastically well.
"You always sit down and think what more we could've
done or how we could've stopped him, but I think some days you have to give a
lot of credit to the opposition - he played brilliantly well."
Former England batter Kevin Pietersen said Abhishek's
innings was "as good as you will see".
"That was one of the great T20 innings," he said.
"It's a very good bowling attack - [Mark] Wood, [Jofra] Archer and Adil
Rashid."
Speaking on TNT Sports, former England bowler Steven Finn
said: "It was quite a ridiculous show of hitting. It was absolutely
beautiful. He has not looked to overhit.
"Every time the ball has been in his area, particularly
outside off stump, he has smashed it down the ground."
Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook added: "It was
extraordinary.
"He mis-hit one ball. There was no turn of the bat.
Everything was so clean.
"A beautiful bat swing. Absolutely extraordinary."
