We have entered a new era of T20 cricket. Players don’t take time to settle anymore or look to milk bowlers in the middle overs. Instead, we see batters put bowlers under constant pressure. This philosophy has found an owner in Abhishek Sharma. The batter has decided to show everyone what real intent looks like.
Intent over records
In past years, one might have looked to score big runs in a bid to get into the Indian cricket team. Now, you have to look past personal milestones and go for what is needed for the team. Against the Delhi Capitals, Abhishek was on 46 from 11 balls. Going at over 4 runs per ball!
He could have gotten the fastest-ever fifty in the IPL’s history and his second of the season, but instead, he went for a big shot and holed out. That half-century might have made a difference a while ago, but not now. The sport is going away from anchors and players who only go after one kind of bowler. We have entered an era where names and reputations matter no more.
This raises a question, not just for fans or experts, but for the BCCI. Does the Indian cricket team really need the services of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the top order anymore? Is there any value in taking the senior pros for the T20 World Cup 2024 and leaving guys like Abhishek Sharma behind?
No match in the powerplay
Making a case for Abhishek is not difficult. All three are openers, but their records couldn’t be further apart. Although Rohit and Abhishek are more aggressive in the powerplay, they still aren’t at the same level.
Unlike Rohit and Kohli, the SRH opener doesn’t slow down in the middle overs either. You can say that he doesn’t bat often outside the powerplay, and while that is true, he has already given his team such a head start by then that others can capitalize on it.
| Player | Powerplay SR |
|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 145.61 |
| Rohit Sharma | 178.21 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 232.87 |
Abhishek Sharma: The surprising six-hitting machine
You can also compare their hitting ability. Abhishek has hit 24 sixes in 7 matches, second behind another monster in Heinrich Klaasen. In comparison, Kohli has hit 14 and Rohit 18. His six-hitting ability, especially in the powerplay, is making him stand out.
He doesn’t have the same amount of runs as the two IPL greats, but his strike rate is nearly 70 and 50 higher than Kohli and Rohit, respectively. Now it’s up to the BCCI: do they want two bankable senior pros as openers or a swashbuckling youngster like Abhishek Sharma, who’s ready to take the world by storm?
He may not churn big runs like Rohit or Kohli, but he can blow the game open or even end it in the powerplay itself. He’s already done so several times in IPL 2024, and we are only halfway through the season.
| Player | Runs | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 361 | 72.2 | 147.34 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| Rohit Sharma | 297 | 49.5 | 164.08 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 257 | 36.71 | 215.96 | 0 | 1 | 24 |
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