(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
India’s young opener Abhishek Sharma lit up the Asia Cup with a blazing knock that helped his team secure a crucial win, and former cricketer Mohammed Kaif can’t stop raving about his potential.
In the Super Four clash against Bangladesh on Tuesday, Abhishek smashed 75 runs off just 37 balls, packing in six fours and five sixes. His explosive innings nearly dragged India to a competitive total of 168, despite a shaky start from the rest of the batting lineup. The bowlers then sealed the deal, with spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy shining to bowl out Bangladesh for 127 and clinch a 41-run victory. Abhishek walked away with yet another Player of the Match award for his game-changing effort.
Abhishek has become India’s go-to opener in the ongoing Asia Cup, pairing up with Shubman Gill to give the team fiery starts. He’s the tournament’s top run-scorer so far, piling up 248 runs in five innings at an average of 49.60 and a stunning strike rate of 206.66, including two fifties.
This year, the 24-year-old has turned heads in T20Is after a rocky debut phase. Following his maiden international century against Zimbabwe, Abhishek has shown real maturity, racking up 527 runs in 10 innings with an average of 52.70 and a blistering strike rate of 213.36. That’s one century and three fifties to his name, highlighted by a explosive 135 off 54 balls against England at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. In total, he’s hammered 47 fours and 39 sixes while facing just 247 balls.
On his YouTube channel, Mohammed Kaif showered praise on Abhishek, calling him the perfect replacement for Rohit Sharma in the powerplay. “Whenever Abhishek fires with the bat, he grabs the Man of the Match and wins the game single-handedly,” Kaif said. “There were questions about who could smash it in the powerplay after Rohit stepped away, but Abhishek Sharma is the answer.”
Kaif went further, predicting big things: “On his day, he can wreck a bowler’s career in the powerplay. He could even hit six sixes in an over—and mark my words, it will happen someday. With his shot range, mental toughness, and game sense, he handles fast bowlers and spinners with ease.”
Kaif pointed to Abhishek’s resilience in the Bangladesh match, where he started slowly at 9 off 9 balls and even got dropped. But he exploded after the first three overs, blasting 66 runs off his next 28 balls at a strike rate over 200. “Even on an off day, he can flip the game in one over,” Kaif added. “He’s a future superstar.”
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
