After firing record-breaking ton at Wankhede, Abhishek downplays competition with Gill, Jaiswal for opening slot - World News Network

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 3 (ANI): After firing a record-breaking ton in the fifth T20I at the Wankhede Stadium, Abhishek Sharma downplayed the competition for the opening slot between him, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
With Gill and Jaiswal being cooped up in the ODI and Test formats, Abhishek has been the preferred candidate for the opening slot. After an underwhelming run in South Africa, the young southpaw made the most of the opportunity by turning the tides against England.
After making a promising start to the series with a belligerent 79(34), Abhishek stored his best for the last T20I of the five-match affair. He brought thunder down at the Wankhede with a swashbuckling performance, toppling numerous records on his way to 135(54), second fastest century for India.
With India having some time on their hands before appearing in the T20I once again, Abhishek made a strong case for himself to avoid jostling for a spot when the star duo return to the format in future.
“I had met Jassu [Jaiswal] and Shubman yesterday [at the BCCI awards]. There has never been a competition among us – we are playing together since Under-16. There was just one dream – to play for India. The three of us are playing now, so there is no better feeling,” Abhishek said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
The flamboyant southpaw looked effortless while dealing with boundaries. The sheer timing and the raw power overwhelmed England in the first innings as India surged to a herculean total of 249/9.
After his carnage ended at the Wankhede, Abhishek revealed it was captain Suryakumar Yadav’s advice that helped him on his way to break the shackles and express himself freely.
“I was in a zone where I was going to react to the ball. I didn’t even know my score. I just asked Surya [Suryakumar] paaji’ What do you think?’. He said, ‘Since a wicket has fallen, you can take your time, take a couple of balls.’ That really helped me because of him, only I would say the hundred happened, and my highest score happened. At that time, I didn’t realise I was going to hit the fastest hundred [second-fastest for India],” he said.
Throughout his time on the crease, swiftness with aggression was a key aspect of the approach he adopted. He raced to his fifty in just 17 balls and then delivered the second-fastest century for India by completing the feat in 35 deliveries. His mesmerising display met its end at 135(54), the highest individual score by an Indian in the T20I format.
“It never crossed my mind that I should play till the end. I react to the ball based on the team’s situation. Luckily today, when I was in the 80s or 90s, Surya paaji came in and said you’ve played well so far, worked hard, so you can take two or three balls. When the captain is [batting] with you and tells you something, I felt I should bat carefully,” he said.
“When Hardik [Pandya] came in, he said, ‘Since wickets are falling, you have to play according to the situation and bat till the end since you are hitting the ball well’. Then Axar came in… these three are senior players and have played well for India, so no better players to listen to in that situation,” he added.
Abhishek went on to outline the role that his mentor and former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has played in his rise to stardom. The constant backing from seniors, including Suryakumar, Hardik Pandya and head coach Gautam Gambhir, has made Abhishek’s life much easier.
“Yuvi paaji was always there for me, and put all these things in my mind and believed in me. When Yuvraj Singh tells you that you are going to play for the country and win games, you also try to believe in yourself and give your best. I talk to him after every game. He is the one I listen to. He knows me better than me,” he said.
“When your captain and coach tell you that you have to play like this and we are backing you, we’ll be there for you always, that is the biggest motivation for a young player in the team. In South Africa, I remember Hardik paaji and Suryapaaji telling me, you are 100 per cent going to make some runs, just believe in yourself. In this series, Gauti [head coach Gautam Gambhir] paaji came back, and I feel grateful that they believe in me, that’s not normal and is the biggest motivation for any player,” he added. (ANI)

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