Abhishek Sharma ended a poor run of form with a blistering 82 off 32 balls against Afghanistan, and former India opener Aakash Chopra has praised the left-hander’s ability to make big grounds look small.
The chase
Needing 157, India got there in 13.4 overs. Abhishek struck seven fours and seven sixes and reached fifty in just 22 balls, earning the Player of the Match award.
He shared a second-wicket stand of 121 with Ishan Kishan, who made a composed 42 from 33 deliveries. The win gave India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Chopra’s verdict
On his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Abhishek had been going through a quiet spell before finding some runs in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League, and called 82 a huge score. He said it had looked as if a hundred was coming before Abhishek was dismissed.
Chopra added that once Abhishek gets going, no ground seems large enough, and that he regularly shows how quickly he can score when firing.
Out of a slump
The innings mattered because Abhishek arrived on a tough sequence. He had made four straight single-figure scores and was averaging just 6.66 across his previous six T20Is. The knock was a timely reminder of his power and gave India the ideal start.
