File image of Ravi Shastri© BCCI
Ahead of the first T20I against Australia in Canberra, former India head coach Ravi Shastri warned the hosts about opening batter Abhishek Sharma’s potential. India faced a shocking 1-2 defeat in the three-match ODI series and now aim for redemption in the five T20Is. In this series, the focus will be on India opener Abhishek, who will be carrying his red-hot form from the Asia Cup 2025, where he scored 314 runs in seven matches and became the highest run-scorer of the tournament.
Speaking to Fox Cricket, Shastri called Abhishek a “gun T20 player” who has the capability of creating chaos with the bat.
“He’s a gun T20 player. If he’s in for a while, there’s guaranteed entertainment. Irrespective of whether you’re Australian or Indian, you’ll enjoy it. He has the ability to take the game away from you. You don’t want him out there too long because he can create chaos,” said Shastri.
The upcoming T20Is will be Abhishek’s first series in Australia and the 25-year-old opener will be at the center stage against the likes of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
“His preparation, his belief in his own ability, the range of shots that he has, and then the mindset to go out there and back himself from ball one,” said Shastri.
“From the get-go, he’ll go after the bowling. That’s where he can be extremely dangerous, very explosive, and quietly confident about his own ability,” he added.
So far, Abhishek has played 24 T20Is and scored 849 runs at a strike rate of 196.08. He also hammered five half-centuries and two tons in the shortest format for India. Currently, he is also the No.1 ranked T20I batter in the ICC rankings.
Talking about the upcoming series, the first T20I of the five matches will be played on Wednesday in Canberra.
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