Batting Brave: Abhishek unwavering in his commitment to style

Abhishek Sharma's approach towards his game has always been clear. Fearlessness and explosive batting have helped the 24-year old make rapid strides in top-level cricket. But his methods are also fraught with significant risk.

Abhishek, who made his India debut in July 2024, after a successful stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last IPL, announced his international arrival with a blistering hundred against Zimbabwe in just his second match. His flamboyant batting earned him plenty of admirers, but he also endured a lean period after the ton, with a highest score of only 16 in his next seven innings.

With India boasting an abundance of options for the opening slot with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad in contention, it was going to be tough to keep them out of the equation for too long. And with Sanju Samson also making the most of his opportunities at the other end, Abhishek may have faced a difficult decision: to temper his approach or remain steadfast in his natural game.

And he chose the latter. A 25-ball 50 and an 18-ball 36 against South Africa in the last two T20Is proved he was staying true to his way, and to further reinforce the belief in him from the team management, the left-hander came up with a dazzling innings in the T20I opener against England at Eden Gardens.

After Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel combined to restrict England to a modest 132, India were off to a blazing start thanks to Samson taking on Gus Atkinson to score 22 in an over. Abhishek faced his first ball only in the third over and he immediately danced down the track to Jofra Archer. He was unable to connect with his shot, but signalled his intentions nevertheless. He then flayed a four and a six over point in the same over but India were in a spot a short while later as Archer dismissed Samson and Suryakumar Yadav in quick succession.

India, at that stage, were 41/2 and the risk/reward ratio might have leaned towards building a partnership and guiding the team towards the target. But Abhishek was determined to stick to his own style and the outcome was pure entertainment.

A nonchalant flick and a slash over thirdman gave him two successive sixes off Mark Wood, who was testing Abhishek with his pace. After that, Adil Rashid put down a return catch and the left-hander went about capitalising with a four and two sixes off consecutive deliveries. A six off Jamie Overton helped him bring up a 20-ball fifty as India raced away to 100 at the halfway stage of the chase.

Two more sixes came off Abhishek's bat as he scored 86.07% of his 79 runs in boundaries alone before he holed out at long-off. By that time, India were only eight away from the target, and got over the line with 7.1 overs to spare.

On another day, this aggressive batting might not have come off, potentially leaving India in deeper trouble. However, the Indian team's evolved attitude to the shortest format aligns seamlessly with Abhishek's natural style, leaving no room for second-guessing.

Right from the coaches at Sunrisers to Gautam Gambhir and Co., Abhishek has benefited from a strong support system, which he credits for giving him the freedom to stay true to himself.

"I think as a batter, I was very lucky to get those kinds of players and coaches in Hyderabad. The momentum came from there (IPL) only. I think the way they gave us freedom, and as a youngster, I always wanted to go and express myself, and I just worked on that a bit, and when I came in the IPL, the plan was pretty much simple, just go and express. And if it's in your arc, even if it's the first ball, just go for it.

"And I think coming from that, even in the Indian team as well, the plan was pretty much simple. We never had a conversation like this, that we have to play according to the situation or something like that. They always wanted me to just go and express myself, and I think today was one of those examples that I thought it was my day, and I just wanted to win the game," says Abhishek.

And did he have any doubts or fear when he went through failures? "From the beginning, I always thought that I wanted to be a team player, because obviously there's competition (for spots) in India, in every team, I'll say, whatever our senior team is. But when captain Surya paaji or Gautam paaji always said to me that the way you play, the way you intend to play...and we're going to back you, I think that was a big moment for me. I felt that the team is showing so much confidence in me, and I should just continue it."

The fear of failure is a powerful barrier that can stifle ambition, limit creativity, and prevent individuals from stepping out of their comfort zones. Eradicating this is essential, and the Indian T20I side has gone about doing just that. And through their backing of players like Abhishek, making a statement - one boundary at a time.