Dashing India opener Abhishek Sharma claimed he has been emulating the aggressive model set by former captain Rohit Sharma in Powerplays in T20 cricket, after being urged to do so by captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Since making his debut in July 2024, Abhishek has risen to the top of the ICC rankings for T20 cricket batsmen thanks to his daring batting style.
He has now amassed 1199 runs at an incredible strike rate of 190.92 in 34 games, including two hundreds and seven fifties.
“Rohit bhai has done a lot for the country. There is always pressure because of the starts he used to give in the Powerplay. When I came into the team, the coach and captain wanted the same from me. I felt it suited my style too because I love to attack from the first few balls. I have been following in Rohit bhai’s footsteps and I am really happy to play in this manner and do well for India,” PTI quoted Abhishek as saying on JioHotstar when asked about Rohit’s influence on him.
Although he could do better, Abhishek stated that he has a clear understanding of his responsibilities.
“I wouldn’t say I am fully matured yet, because there is always room to improve. But I feel my job is to play aggressive cricket in the first six overs. I have been practicing a lot for that. I know if I give a good start or show good intent early, the team can follow that momentum (and) that is what I always think about,” he said.
Abhishek stated that he has been practicing against particular types of bowlers he will encounter in the T20 World Cup, which is in two weeks.
“If I want to play aggressive cricket and show intent, I have to practice a certain way. That is what I always do before matches. When I get a week or 10 days, I keep in mind the bowlers I will face in the next series or matches. It all comes down to how I execute those plans. For the upcoming T20 World Cup, I have been practicing for that too. I know we will play all over India in different conditions against different teams, so preparation is key,” he added.
The 25-year-old claimed that he attempts to mimic match conditions at nets to the point that he prefers to take on bowlers from the other team who have a similar style.
“I try to get similar bowlers to bowl at me in the nets. For every bowler in the other team, I find someone similar to practice against. I ask them to bowl out-swingers, in-swingers, and use the new ball. I also ask them to take certain fielders out for me,” he said.
The left-hander has also practiced the scenarios of bowlers taking pace off the ball against him in an effort to stay ahead of the competition.
“I know (that) especially going into the World Cup and any match, they won’t give me a lot of pace. I realised that in the last few matches, so I have been working on it,” he said.
According to Abhishek, improving his back lift also enabled him to produce a smooth bat flow.
“I have always had a high grip holding position on the bat. The only thing I worked on was my back lift. I used to keep it a bit low, but now I keep it above my waist so I can get a smooth flow. When it was low, I was getting late on some balls so I practiced that. But the back lift and the grip are both natural for me,” Abhishek added.
