Rohit Sharma may have retired from T20Is, but the legacy he’s leaving is going to last forever. Not only did he give India their first ICC trophy after 11 years, but he also evolved himself from an anchor to an aggressive opener. A week after his retirement, we saw another Sharma play like him. While Rohit scored 92 runs in 41 balls against Australia in the T20 World Cup on June 24, it was Abhishek Sharma who followed in his footsteps and scored a 46-ball maiden T20I century against Zimbabwe on July 7.
After watching his son kickstart his career emphatically, Abhishek’s father, Rajkumar, lauded Rohit for showing youngsters the way. “The demand of T20 cricket now is to attack from ball one. You have to be brave. Rohit Sharma has shown the way for all the Indian youngsters. The template is set, and I am glad that Abhishek is trying to follow in the footsteps of Rohit,” he said to the Indian Express.
Big future ahead
He predicted that his son Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill would win many matches for India in the future. The duo, who’ve played together for over a decade, have failed to perform as an opening pair in the ongoing series but still have three matches to prove themselves.
“With Shubman being the captain, it has also helped. The duo has opened for Punjab since their U-14 days, and now they are opening for India. Mark my words, these two will forge a destructive opening partnership and will win many games for India in the future,” Rajkumar Sharma concluded.
More on Abhishek Sharma
6 to start his career
Abhishek’s father talked about how he was dejected after being dismissed for a duck in his debut match. He talked about how he wanted to start his India career with a six, but after the first T20I vs Zimbabwe, he wasn’t sure. He thanked captain Shubman Gill and head coach VVS Laxman for showing support for him and expressed jubilation that he started his career with a maximum in the second T20I.
“He was a bit dejected. You can’t blame him. When you get out on nought on your debut, you do question your approach. He was blaming himself for his six-hitting obsession. I reminded him that his six-hitting ability has helped him reach here. Why change your style now, stick to your strength.”
“Captain and coach saab also had a word with him after the match. Laxman sir told him: You were thrashing all the international bowlers in the IPL. Treat it as any IPL match, take your time, get acclimatised and then no one will stop you“
“He wanted to get off the mark with a six. He misread the length and couldn’t connect it. But today, he not only started his innings with a six but also completed his century with the maximum (3 consecutive sixes),” Rajkumar added.
