Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS) Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has credited Abhishek Sharma’s hard work for his remarkable rise in international cricket, saying the left-handed opener deserves all the credit for reclaiming the number one spot in the ICC T20I batting rankings.
Abhishek has been in sensational form in the shortest format, with his explosive batting making him one of India’s most influential players. Yuvraj, who has mentored the young opener, said his performances were a reflection of the hard work he had put in over the years.
“Abhishek Sharma scored a century off 30 balls and then off 34 balls. I think it’s the result of his hard work. He has worked very hard to get where he is. He is back at the number one spot (T20I rankings) in world cricket, and all the credit goes to him,” Yuvraj told IANS on the sidelines of a launch event.
Yuvraj also praised the improvement in Indian players, particularly in white-ball cricket, while highlighting the role of better recovery methods and sports science in helping athletes deal with injuries and improve their performances.
“If you play sports, you will get injured. There will be on-ground injuries. Recovery has to be better. Feel in terms of science, obviously players are getting better. They are recovering better; they are playing better. Their skill is better; they are becoming faster. So I feel that our players are doing really well. Especially in white-ball cricket,” he said.
Abhishek recently produced another breathtaking performance in the third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington on October 27, smashing 113 off just 38 deliveries to help India register a six-wicket victory and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
The 25-year-old reached his half-century in just 14 balls before completing his fourth T20I century. His innings featured a relentless display of power-hitting and helped India chase down New Zealand’s 198/3 in just 13.2 overs.
Yuvraj had also reacted to the knock on social media, taking a playful dig at Abhishek while praising his remarkable hitting ability. “You still can’t get 50 off 12, can you? @OfficialAbhi04! Looks like two left-handers batting in their backyard!” Yuvraj posted on X.
Abhishek’s century in Wellington was his 11th in T20 cricket, taking him past Virat Kohli’s tally of 10 to become the Indian with the most hundreds in the format. He also moved to third on the all-time list of T20 centurions, behind Chris Gayle (22) and Babar Azam (13).
–IANS
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