Abhishek Sharma’s wicket is highly valued by South Africa T20I captain Aiden Markram, who claims that the modern Indian opener symbolizes fearlessness and the ultra-aggressive style of play that has revolutionized the sport.
After spending time with Abhishek at Sunrisers Hyderabad, Markram expressed his admiration for the 25-year-old left-hander.
“I’ve played with Abhi before at Sunrisers, a great guy and bats really well, so no doubt it’s a big wicket for us,” Markram said on the eve of their five-match T20I series opener at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
“Whoever takes the new ball, that’s a challenge to hopefully get him early. He is a match-winner and it’s an important wicket for us.”
According to Markram, youthful players who view attacking intent as both fun and opportunity are driving modern T20 batting.
“It’s probably just the fearlessness — being given complete licence to take the game on from ball one. Some players you almost just want them to spread their wings and take the game on. If they come off, the team is in a really strong position. The game is moving in that direction,” he said.
The current generation is inherently drawn to high-impact cricket, he continued.
“The younger guys coming through naturally are playing that way because that’s entertainment but it’s also opportunities for them to get into leagues and play T20 cricket for their country. They end up doing some really cool things.”
Markram, who has been retained by the Lucknow Super Giants, stated that while people may want to make an impression during the IPL auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, the T20 World Cup in February is still the major priority.
“Some guys are in the auction and there could be an element of wanting to impress. But that’s definitely not the main reason we’re here. If the team does well, naturally individuals benefit and that’s the extra bonus.”
After finishing second in the T20 World Cup the previous year, South Africa has subsequently faltered in bilaterals, losing to West Indies, India, Australia, and Pakistan. However, Markram maintained that the strategy won’t alter.
“No extra plans, I guess. It’s T20 cricket, it’s an entertaining format and that’s the brand we want to play. We want guys to free themselves up, enjoy the game, let their best skills be on show. Tomorrow is the start of a new series. We haven’t selected the final XI just yet, we need a few more discussions and then we’ll come to that.”
South Africa have won both of their games at Cuttack, incidentally, and the captain thinks that some players may settle in more quickly as a result of previous success.
“If there’s guys that have played here and had previous success, they can take confidence from that.”
The return of Anrich Nortje, who last played at the T20 World Cup final, is a huge boost for South Africa.
“It’s great to have him back. Whenever a bowler can bowl as quick as he does, it’s a boost to any team,” Markram said.
Young pacers now have opportunities due to injuries to other seamers.
“Our fast-bowling stock is growing… The guys will be excited and I’m sure they’ll give 100 per cent.”
Markram expects high scores on favorable batting surfaces.
“You expect the wickets to be pretty good and the games to be high-scoring. If not, we adapt out there in the middle. Tomorrow is an important start and hopefully we can get off on a good note,” he signed off.
