Abhishek Sharma credits legends Yuvi paaji, Brian Lara, and Vettori for his special coaching role

Abhishek Sharma showcased his exceptional batting skills in the first T20I between India and England in Kolkata on Wednesday. The Sunrisers Hyderabad star hammered an impressive 79 runs off just 34 balls, helping India reach their target of 132 with ease. The match ended in just 12.5 overs, with India finishing at 133/3. Despite a low scoring game, Tilak Varma (19*) and Hardik Pandya (6*) provided valuable support to Sharma, ensuring India emerged victorious.

Initially, Jos Buttler (68) smacked a half-century as England posted 132 in 20 overs, with Varun Chakaravarthy taking three wickets for the hosts.

Also Read: Why Mohammed Shami didn't play in India vs England 1st T20I? A limp and a Gambhir masterstrokeAbhishek Sharma namedrops legends

After the match, Abhishek hogged the spotlight and also credited some top legendary players for helping him in his career. The 24-year-old has had some cricketing greats working closely with him, while he came up the ranks, especially at SRH. “I believe I'm very lucky in this,” he said.

“I was working with Yuvi paaji [Yuvraj Singh] at first. Going forward, I had Brian Lara, who really helped me at SRH. Moving forward, Dan Vettori was pretty simple, he just wanted everyone to express themselves, and I think that gave me the freedom to play my shots. So obviously, with Yuvraj Singh, Brian Lara and even Gauti bhai right now, they just want me to showcase my talent the way I play and to back myself,” he added.

The Punjab native has become a talking point for Indian cricket fans since his heroics at IPL 2024. He has also been regarded as a replacement for senior batters like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and has been compared to legend Virender Sehwag. He is known to be a close friend of Yuvraj, whom he also considers a mentor.

He made his India debut in June last year, facing Zimbabwe in Harare. He has represented India in 13 T20Is since then, registering 335 runs at a strike rate of 183.06 and 27.92 average. During his short international career, he has also bagged a ton. India are set to face England in the second T20I, in Chennai on Saturday.

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