Hyderabad, Apr 22 (PTI) Former India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara has hailed Abhishek Sharma as a special talent with class written all over, after the Sunrisers Hyderabad opener tore into the Delhi Capitals attack in an IPL match, powering a dominant, one-sided win.
Abhishek played a blistering, unbeaten knock, hammering 135 off just 68 balls to completely dismantle the bowling attack as SRH scored 242/2 and won the contest by 47 runs.
“Abhishek Sharma played a brilliant knock to score his second IPL hundred and his first this season. He makes centuries look easy,” Pujara told JioHotstar.
“His runs are crucial for SRH because they often lead to wins. He is a special talent. When he performs like this, his class is there for everyone to see. Very few batters have the talent and class that Abhishek Sharma has,” he added.
Abhishek, the world No. 1 T20I batter, was in full flow on Tuesday, smashing 10 sixes and as many fours in a one-sided demolition job.
Abhishek also had a slice of luck on his side, with a fumble behind the stumps by KL Rahul handing him a lifeline when he was on 50.
For former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, that was the game’s turning point.
“That missed run-out was a defining moment. If Abhishek Sharma had been dismissed, the game could have looked very different,” Harbhajan said.
“He went on to play a crucial innings and was the main reason behind that big total. When a team gets to 240-plus, it usually comes down to moments like these, and this was the one that shifted the game completely. He was well short, and a direct hit or a good throw could have changed everything,” added Harbhajan.
Harbhajan warned Indian bowlers to tighten their lines and sharpen discipline to avoid being hammered in high-scoring games.
“The Indian bowlers have no choice but to evolve. If they don’t level up, they will get punished. T20 cricket spares no one. Batters keep adding new shots and if Indian bowlers don’t want to be taken apart, they must improve,” he said.
However, he praised bowlers such as Anshul Kamboj of Chennai Super Kings, who have managed to find success amid the carnage.
“It is good to see that the top five bowlers in the ‘Purple Cap’ race are all Indians. Anshul Kamboj of Chennai Super Kings leads with 13 wickets. His bowling against Sunrisers Hyderabad was excellent,” said Harbhajan.
“He used the round-the-wicket angle in the death overs to bowl to Heinrich Klaasen and did not let him free his arms. Young bowlers like Kamboj are showing a new way to bowl in modern T20 cricket,” he added. PTI DDV AM AM
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