"Yuvraj, Lara, Vettori.." Abhishek Sharma credits legends for shaping his career after blockbuster innings in IND vs ENG 1st T20I

Abhishek Sharma top scored with 79 runs in the IND vs ENG 1st T20I.

Indian opener Abhishek Sharma has emerged as one of the most exciting young talents in world cricket. The southpaw was at his explosive best in Kolkata during the first T20I of the five-match series against England.

Chasing a small target of 133 runs, Abhishek steered India to a comfortable victory with 43 balls to spare. His innings, featuring five fours and eight sixes, saw him score 79 runs from just 34 deliveries.

Abhishek earned his place on the Indian T20I team following his impressive performances in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The 24-year-old scored 484 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 204, forming a deadly opening combo with Travis Head.

His performance played a key role in helping Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) finish as the runners-up.

Abhishek Sharma credits legends for shaping his career

After the game, Abhishek mentioned the legendary cricketers – Yuvraj Singh, Brian Lara, and Daniel Vettori – he has worked with. The southpaw said he was grateful for their belief in his potential.

Abhishek said, “I was working with Yuvi paaji [Yuvraj Singh] at first. Going forward, I had Brian Lara, who really helped me at SRH. Moving forward, Dan Vettori was pretty simple, he just wanted everyone to express themselves, and I think that gave me the freedom to play my shots.“

He added, “So obviously, with Yuvraj Singh, Brian Lara and even Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) right now, they just want me to showcase my talent the way I play and to back myself.“

Despite being inconsistent earlier, Abhishek has shown glimpses of his talent on the international stage. The Punjab batsman smacked his maiden T20I century off just 47 balls against Zimbabwe in July 2024.

The second T20I of the IND vs ENG series will be played on Saturday in Chennai.

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