What is that one thing which leaves you stunned, speechless, watching Abhishek Sharma. It is, obviously, his fearless approach, yet not hesitating in converting a 50 into a 100.
What the 24-year-old from Amritsar in Punjab produced on Sunday night was a delight. Just that his 135 runs left you craving for more.
The assault was merciless on pace and spin, where famous Englishmen like Jofra Archer and Mark Wood suffered. They know how to bowl but the way Abhishek was hammering them to all parts of the Wankhede Stadium, through shots on the ground and in the air was crazy.
If someone had thought this a war-zone of sorts like the Gaza strip, there was one man who pounding the Englishmen with missiles flying from his bat. There is joy in watching a youngster produce a rhapsody. Abhishek’s creativity comes from brilliant hand-speed and how he uses great technique. From the stands inside, it is near impossible to assess what kind of technique Abhishek uses to decimate the bowlers. His fearless batting is a mastery of sorts. That Abhishek has sought the blessings of “Wahe Guru” in Amristar’s iconic Golden Temple and touched the feet of Guru Yuvraj Singh to attain this kind of batting form stands out.
The grammar of his batting was described on air by commentators wonderfully. And for those who still love prose to pen lines in English, Abhishek was scripting a classic. There was arrogance, there was aura, there was God-gifted virtues of playing strokes repeatedly. For those who love boxing as a sport, Abhishek is also a pugilist. He floors the bowlers with shots which are a culmination of technique plus timing and poise. Most important, Abhishek is fearless, controls his mind well and assaults the bowlers without his heart rate shooting to a triple digit level. If anything, it is the bowlers who suffer. Shed a tear for them, as reputations of the Englishmen have been destroyed.
It was a classic carnage of sorts, so to say, from Abhishek. The world of cricket has seen batsmen score with authority. This boy, Abhishek, is New Gen, he is fearless and at the same time blessed with the natural skills. From Viv Richards to Virender Sehwag and Chris Gayle to Virat Kohli, cricket has seen stroke-players who could destroy rival bowling. Forget the past, embrace the present and look at the future – Abhishek Sharma. For those who feel the IPL is a curse and ruins batting, Abhishek has emerged from the same platform. Agreed, he launched his career in the Ranji Trophy, did well for India in the junior events as well.
Just as a great actor needs a great script and a great director, Abhishek Sharma has learned from the benign blessings of ‘Guru Yuvi Paa.’ Most important, Abhishek does not throw his wicket. For those who will ask if he can keep producing such classics, don’t put pressure on him. He has everything in him, including a left-arm to bowl. There is nothing left to prove, for Abhishek has done it at various levels. He started with the Delhi franchise in the IPL and now basks in the glory of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who made it to the IPL final in 2024.
For those who want to talk of the future, Abhishek has it in him to serve Indian cricket well. He is a world class batter who should be an obvious choice for the ODI format as well. For the time being, looking at the 2026 season where India will host the ICC T20 World Cup, a young man like Abhishek will be part of the blueprint. Mumbaikars seated inside the Wankhede Stadium as well as the Sunday crowd nearby the Marine Drive knew something special was happening. Yes, Abhishek Sharma was on fire, literally ‘smoking’ the Englishmen.

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