T20 World Cup: Harbhajan responds to Amir's Abhishek 'slogger' remark
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has responded to ex-Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir's recent comments about Abhishek Sharma. Amir had called the southpaw a "slogger" and said he could be easily dismissed with sound plans. However, Harbhajan defended Abhishek, saying he's a proper batter who can play all kinds of shots. He warned Pakistan that if the Indian opener gets going in the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup clash in Colombo on Saturday, he could haunt them once again.
Defense
'What am I even supposed to say to that'
While interacting with Sports Tak, Harbhajan slammed Amir's comments, saying, "I mean, come on — what am I even supposed to say to that? He just gets up and says anything. If you call him a slogger, then fine, let him smash sixes — but he's a proper batter who has every shot in the book." The former spinner added that Abhishek is a complete batter who knows exactly where the ball is coming from and plays accordingly.
Warning
Abhishek is a top-class batter, warns Pakistan
Harbhajan also warned Pakistan about Abhishek's potential impact in the upcoming match. He said, "If I start naming real sloggers, some people might get offended, but I don't want to create more drama. Still, calling anyone just a slogger like that — I don't think it's fair." The former Indian spinner emphasized that Abhishek is a top-class batter who has proven his worth in world cricket and could be key to India's success against Pakistan.
Past performance
Abhishek has dominated Pakistan in his short career
Abhishek has faced Pakistan thrice in his career, all during last year's Asia Cup. He scored 110 runs, including a 50 against them, at an impressive strike-rate of 189.65 with 11 boundaries and seven sixes. Despite a stomach bug, he is expected to return to the side for the match and play a crucial role in India's clash with Pakistan in Colombo.