What a day for Abhishek Sharma! The 23-year-old, who’d started his international career in the worst possible fashion (scoring a duck), has turned it around by smashing a maiden T20I century in the very next match, that too in just 46 balls. The promise he’d shown in the recently concluded IPL 2024 season was on full display as he destroyed the bowlers and records in the India vs Zimbabwe 2nd T20I.
Of course, the batter’s power-hitting ability and range were the reasons why he notched up his maiden century in just his second international match for India. But the youngster has credited captain Shubman Gill, his coaches, and teammate Ruturaj Gaikwad after reaching the landmark.
Gill’s bat to Abhishek’s rescue
In the post-match press conference, Abhishek gave an insight into his and captain Shubman Gill’s relationship. The childhood friends share a special bond, and the southpaw opener shared how, after his duck, he decided to play the India vs Zimbabwe 2nd T20I with Gill’s bat. “I played with Shubman’s (Gill) bat today; I did it earlier also. Whenever I need runs, I ask for his bat,” he said.
Ruturaj Gaikwad after-overs chat
During their 137-run stand, Abhishek stated that his constant chats between the overs with Ruturaj Gaikwad helped him stay focused. He added that if he felt that a ball was in his arc, he was looking to dispatch it out of the park.
“After the drop, I thought it was my day and had to take responsibility. Rutu (Ruturaj Gaikwad) helped me as well; we talked after every over. I always believe in my abilities. It’s about momentum for me. If it’s in the arc, I believe I need to hit it over, regardless of when it is,” Abhishek said in the post-match interview.
It was my day: Abhishek Sharma
After getting dropped when he was batting on 24, Abhishek said in the post-match interview that he’d started to bat much more freely. He also credited his captain Shubman Gill and coaches for giving him the confidence to express himself.
“I think it was a pretty good performance by me. The defeat we had yesterday wasn’t easy for us, but it’s good that we didn’t have time to think about it. I felt today was my day, and I made it count. I feel T20 is about momentum, and I took it to the end. A special mention to the coaches and captain for the confidence they showed in me,“ said Abhishek after the match.
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