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Abhishek Sharma, the promising young left-handed batsman from India, etched his name into the annals of Indian cricket history by joining an exclusive club of T20I centurions. What made his achievement all the more remarkable was the context: after being dismissed for a duck in his debut T20I, he bounced back with a vengeance in just his second match.
His whirlwind innings, a scintillating 47-ball century, powered India to a formidable total of 234/2 against Zimbabwe, marking India’s highest T20I score against them. The match took a dramatic turn as Zimbabwe succumbed to 134 all out, handing India a convincing victory by a margin of 100 runs and levelling the series.
Abhishek’s century came in a stunning 13-ball sprint from fifty to hundred, making him the fourth youngest Indian batsman at 23 years and 307 days to achieve a T20I century. His landmark moment was punctuated by three consecutive sixes, a feat never before seen in international cricket history.
Reflecting on his remarkable turnaround, Abhishek credited a heartfelt pep talk from his father, Rajkumar Sharma, who spoke candidly with the Indian Express from Chandigarh. His father’s words clearly struck a chord, igniting a resurgence that swiftly transformed disappointment into triumph on the international stage.
Abhishek Sharma’s father revealed the pep talk he gave his son.
“He was a bit dejected. You can’t blame him. When you get out on naught on your debut, you do question your approach. He was blaming himself for his six-hitting obsession. I reminded him that his six-hitting ability has helped him reach here. Why change your style now, stick to your strength,” Rajkumar said.
His father also shared how Abhishek Sharma received motivation from India’s stand-in coach VVS Laxman following his debut disappointment in the first T20I. Abhishek earned his spot in the Indian T20I squad for the Zimbabwe tour on the back of an impressive IPL 2024 season, where he amassed 484 runs in 16 innings at a striking rate of 204.02 for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“Captain (Shubman) and coach (Laxman) saab also had a word with him after the match. Laxman sir told him, ‘You were thrashing all the international bowlers in the IPL. Treat it as any IPL match, take your time, get acclimatized, and then no one will stop you” he said.
“With Shubman being the captain, it has also helped. The duo has opened for Punjab since their U-14 days and now they are opening for India. Mark my words, these two will forge a destructive opening partnership and will win many games for India in the future,” added Rajkumar.
Abhishek Sharma surged past Rohit Sharma in the 2024 season with 47 sixes to his name. He also achieved one of the quickest centuries from fifty in T20Is, maintaining a striking rate over 200 throughout his innings. His luck favored him when he received a reprieve on 27, which he capitalized on effectively.
His maiden T20I century powered a resurgent Indian team to a dominant victory in the second match. Following a mammoth total, the bowling attack led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh Khan, who took three wickets each, along with Ravi Bishnoi’s two scalps, sealed the comprehensive win.
