Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has hailed Abhishek Sharma after India registered a comprehensive eight-wicket win against New Zealand at Guwahati on Sunday. Sharma scored a blistering knock of 68 runs off just 20 balls to help India chase down 154 runs in 10 overs.
The left-hander smashed seven fours and five sixes in his whirlwind knock. The youngster completed his fifty off just 14 balls, the second fastest T20I half-century for India after his mentor Yuvraj Singh, who scored a 12-ball fifty against England in the 2007 T20 World Cup.
Earlier in the series opener against the Kiwis, Sharma scored a blistering knock of 84 runs off just 35 balls. Chopra highlighted that it is not easy to dance down the track and hit sixes, which Sharma has been doing consistently.
“Let’s talk about Abhishek Sharma. How well he plays. A six off the first ball and then he kept hitting sixes. He jumps to the leg side and hits sixes on the off side. It’s difficult to jump and hit sixes,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“It’s difficult to place the ball after jumping because when you step out to a fast bowler, you have already made up your mind before the ball is released, and you have made your movement. So the bowler bowls at your body at times and goes far on other occasions, but he is deciding where to hit. Where do you bowl to him? How do you bowl to him? No idea. He is the best in the world right now, there is no doubt about it,” he added.
On the other hand, Chopra also lavished praise on Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav. SKY scored another impressive knock of 57 runs off just 26 balls in the third game after scoring 82 runs in the second T20I.
“Suryakumar Yadav is saying he has returned now. You can say that he scored 47 runs against Zak Foulkes alone in the last match, but Zak Foulkes wasn’t there this time. The way Surya batted this time, he hit a 10th stump ball over square leg for a six. He was hitting fours whenever he wished,” he said.
“I was reminded of a dhol. Abhishek Sharma was drumming it from one side and Suryakumar Yadav from the other. They were hitting like that, and Ishan Kishan did his job in the middle with a small spoon. We scored 150 runs in 10 overs. The big question is whether New Zealand are so weak or have we become so strong that New Zealand aren’t able to understand what they should do,” Chopra elaborated.
The fourth T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
