Young opener Abhishek Sharma slammed his second T20I hundred in the fifth match between India and England at Mumbai. Abhishek was in devastating form with the bat and smashed the opposition bowlers all around the ground.
The youngster has credited the legendary India allrounder Yuvraj Singh for this innings. He revealed the role of Yuvraj in giving him the confidence to play for the country one day and showing faith in him.
Both Yuvraj and Abhishek hail from Punjab. Yuvraj has been mentoring Abhishek for the past few years and deserves a lot of credit for his growth. There are shades of Yuvraj Singh in the way Abhishek Sharma hits a ball and both of them are known to hit big shots effortlessly.
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Abhishek Sharma credits Yuvraj Singh’s motivational words
Abhishek Sharma was adjudged the Player of the Match in Mumbai T20I for his all-round brilliance. The left-hander at the post-match press conference where he was asked about the role of Yuvraj Singh in his growth.
Abhishek revealed that Yuvraj gave him the confidence to play and win matches for India. The words from such a big player stuck in Abhishek’s mind and he started working harder towards his goal.
“Yuvi Paaji (Yuvraj Singh) was the one who put all these things in my mind three-four years back. He was the one who believed in me, I would say,” said Abhishek.
“Obviously, when someone like Yuvraj Singh is telling you that you are going to play for the country and you’re going to win the matches. You obviously yourself try to think all these things that okay ‘I will play for India and I will do my best’,” he added.
Yuvraj Singh himself was a big match-winner for India during his playing days. The former India allrounder played key roles in India’s title wins in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup.
Abhishek Sharma on Yuvraj Singh’s role in his career
When asked about his bond with Yuvraj, Abhishek Sharma spoke about Yuvraj’s role in his cricketing career. Abhishek revealed about talking to Yuvraj after every game and called him someone he could trust.
“He has played a major role in my cricketing career. As I’ve told before also, it’s all because of him because the way he has treated me in the past and every innings,” Abhishek said.
“He’s someone who’s always there for me, I always talk to him after every game. He’s the one guy I’ve always listened to and I think he knows better than me so I believe that,” the 24-year-old added.
Abhishek Sharma’s belligerent knock
Abhishek Sharma arrived into this match on the back of inconsistent returns with the bat. However, he was fearless in this innings and played his shots with freedom. Despite losing Sanju Samson early, Abhishek kept on hitting boundaries against both pacers and spinners.
England’s fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood were bowling at speeds around 150kph on a regular basis but Abhishek used his feet to smash them all over the park. He didn’t spare the spinners and put Adil Rashid under the pump.
Abhishek struck 135 off 54 balls and struck 7 fours and 13 sixes during his knock. It was an innings to remember from the youngster who probably made himself tough to be dropped from the team. He also finished as the highest run-getter of the series with 279 runs in 5 matches at an average of 55.80 and a strike rate of 219.68.
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