Abhishek Sharma hits back at critics following record-breaking T20I hundred
What's the story
Indian opener Abhishek Sharma has hit back at his critics with a stunning performance in the recently concluded T20I series against Afghanistan. The explosive batter was under fire after a disappointing UK and Zimbabwe tour but silenced his doubters with a Player of the Series-winning show. He scored 229 runs at an impressive average of 76.33, including a blistering 30-ball century in the third T20I match, as India completed a clean sweep over Afghanistan.
Match details
Abhishek hits back at critics
In the three-match series, Abhishek hit 22 sixes and maintained a staggering strike rate of 269.41.
His explosive performances have also strengthened his case as one of India's key T20 batting options.
After his match-winning hundred in the final match, he defended India's batting unit, saying that one or two poor series shouldn't define them as a group.
"We've been doing this for the last two years," he said. "One or two bad series won't define us as a batting department."
Team spirit
Abhishek credits captain and coach for backing him
Abhishek stressed the importance of unity and support within the team, saying his approach was shaped by preparation and planning for the opposition.
"I feel as a batter, sometimes you have up and downs," he said. "The most important thing is, as a team, we have to be together and support each other."
He also credited the captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir for giving him confidence to play freely.
Game strategy
Aggressive approach backed by careful planning
Abhishek revealed that his aggressive approach is a result of careful planning against the opposition.
"It's very particular for me, against who I play and their bowlers," he said. "How I'm going to utilize the powerplay. Who's going to bowl the powerplay, the 7th over, the 8th over."
He also stressed on an attacking culture within the team where players are encouraged to dominate while expressing their game freely.