‘The perfect batter for his time’ – meet India’s latest record-breaker

It pays to have a legend in your corner when you struggle to survive as a batter in India.

In India’s crushing T20 victory, Abhishek Sharma brutally destroyed England’s bowling with a 135 strike.

It was the exact assault Yuvraj Singh’s mentor had committed. Just ask Stuart Broad.

After his destruction, which included 13 sixes, the most by an Indian batsman in T20s, was over, Abhishek said, “He always wanted me to bat until 15 or 20 overs.”

“Today was my day”.

When Yuvraj delivered his verdict, Abhishek had just left the field and raised his bat as the Mumbai crowd chanted his name.

“That’s where I want to see you”, said Yuvraj. “Proud of you”.

When their paths crossed while playing first-class cricket for Punjab, Yuvraj and Abhishek were both playing for the team at the beginning of their careers, their relationship dates back to when they first met.

What started out as a group of team-mates’ chemistry has evolved into a more consistent mentorship.

Test Match Special commentator Prakash Wakankar told BBC Sport, “The big backlift and the bat flow very resemble Yuvraj Singh.”

“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. Abhishek crunched a straight six while Yuvraj was watching.

The highlight of his most recent game was against England, a towering strike off Brydon Carse.

Abhishek, born in Amritsar as the youngest of three siblings, is the perfect batter for his time in India.

After a disappointing 2022 World Cup defeat to England, Rohit Sharma began adopting 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.

After winning the trophy in Bridgetown and achieving a century in the second match, he made his India debut against Zimbabwe in July.

Abhishek scored a lot of runs for the under-16 national team, but Wakankar said the transformation actually started when he moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. He had initially played for the Delhi Daredevils but had not done much, so he turned to that.

Abhishek had a strong IPL season in 2023, but his name was last made.

Together, he and Australia’s batter Travis Head set the record for the competition’s highest double, and they helped Sunrisers break the previous record.

Abhishek, able to work with Sunrisers batting coach Brian Lara, scored at a devastating strike-rate of 204.21 across 16 matches.

Despite never throwing an innings longer than 29 balls, he never managed to score 484 runs on the season. Against England, he took on all of that brutal yet elegant power-hitting, only this time went on to play the match-winning hand.

Wakankar said, “We’re seeing more and more of that Yuvi-esque full face and flow of the bat.”

All of Abhishek’s 13 sixes resulted in England’s diet of extreme pace or spin being hit between backward point and long-on.

Only Yuvraj’s speed had made him the faster, and he reached 50 in 17 balls, and he scored a hundred.

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.

England captain Jos Buttler praised Abhishek Sharma for his consistent ball striking, which was as clean as I’ve seen. He performed fantastically well.

You always sit down and consider what else we could have done or how we could have stopped him, but I believe you have to give the opposition credit because he played very well on occasion.

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 bat turn. Everything was so clean.