IND vs ENG: "They tell me to always keep my intent," Abhishek Sharma reveals words of assurance from Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir

Abhishek Sharma top-scored in the first IND vs ENG T20I at Eden Gardens.

The Indian Cricket Team secured a comfortable seven-wicket victory over England in the first T20I in Kolkata, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

The hosts dominated England in all departments. The Indian bowlers maintained excellent discipline, restricting the visitors to 132 runs in the first innings. Varun Chakravarthy was the standout performer for India, claiming three wickets, while England’s captain, Jos Buttler, top-scored with a knock of 68 runs.

England’s troubles deepened in the second innings as Abhishek Sharma dismantled their bowling attack, racing to 79 runs off just 34 balls. His explosive knock included five fours and eight towering sixes.

The innings came as a huge relief for Abhishek, who had been under pressure after being dismissed for under 20 runs eight times in his first 12 T20Is.

The southpaw has now highlighted how the Indian management had supported him during that challenging period.

Abhishek Sharma reveals words of assurance from captain and coach

Speaking in the press conference after India’s victory in the first T20I in Kolkata, Abhishek acknowledged the intense competition for selection in Indian cricket. However, he revealed that captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir had backed him to maintain his aggressive intent amid his failures.

Abhishek said, “In India, there will always be a lot of competition [when it comes to selection] in our senior team. But when Suryakumar [Yadav] and Gautam [Gambhir] paaji tell me to always keep my intent, that was a big moment for me, that when the team wants me to do that, then I can do it.“

He further explained that the captain and coach have shown confidence in the players, encouraging them to maintain their aggressive approach.

He added, “As a batsman, it can play on your mind if you don’t score runs in three-four-five innings, but the way the coach and captain have managed all the players, even when I’ve not done well – even then they tell us, ‘we know you’re going to win the game for us, any game, just go and express yourself’.“

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