Ravichandran Ashwin calls out Abhishek Sharma's bat swing even better than Yuvraj Singh's
He also called out Mohammad Amir for calling Abhishek a slogger
Abhishek Sharma slammed 55 runs off just 30 balls against Zimbabwe
Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has come out in defense of Abhishek Sharma, hailing his bat swing better than ever Yuvraj Singh.
Ashwin, who runs his YouTube channel, clarified that those calling him a mere slogger are mistaken, and he's the master of an enviable bat swing, and the bat travels far whenever he makes good contact with the ball. However, he also highlights his mistake of going after every ball while praising the World No.1 T20I batter.
“There is a video of Mohammad Amir doing the rounds, where he called Abhishek Sharma a slogger. I just want to make one thing clear: you can say anything about his game, but he is not a slogger. He has one of the most enviable bat swings in the game today. We all know Yuvraj Singh is his mentor. He has probably got a better bat swing than him as well. You cannot get a better bat swing than that. Whenever Abhishek strikes the ball, it goes very far. So people can mistake him for being a slogger. The one thing Abhishek has been guilty of is showing intent on every ball,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel 'Ash Ki Baat'.
Sunil Gavaskar Showered Praises On Abhishek Sharma's Approach
Meanwhile, Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar also praised Abhishek Sharma for his approach during his 30-ball 55 against Zimbabwe. The former Indian opener underscored that he approached the innings with a calm and composed demeanour and also respected the bowlers, which he was not doing during this streak of failures. He accentuated that it's a learning phase for him, and he'll come out of it as a better player.
"We know how good Abhishek Sharma is as a batter. He silenced his doubters with this knock of 55 runs against Zimbabwe. He took that extra time to start his innings. There was a method to his batting. He respected the off spinner, didn’t take any kind of risks and played in a calm & composed manner. In this game, he actually played a defensive shot. He defended the ball. I was surprised to see that because we don't usually see Abhishek do that. I really think this is a learning curve for him. Every cricketer goes through a rough patch of not scoring runs in back-to-back games. It is about how much you learn from it. I feel Abhishek has learned a lot and this will augur well for him going forward, in the next couple of games and the all-important clash against West Indies in Kolkata," said Gavaskar in an interview to Star Sports.
Abhishek Sharma broke the streak of low scores in the World Cup with a majestic 30-ball 55 against Zimbabwe in a do-or-die match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The southpaw smashed four boundaries and an equal number of sixes during his fluent innings. India will face the West Indies next in a virtual quarter-final at the Eden Gardens on March 1, 2026.
