Abhishek Sharma: from 'flat-track bully' to superstar of Indian cricket's new generation

The Wellington innings and the return to the top of the rankings

26-year-old left-handed batsman Abhishek Sharma, who was previously criticized as a 'flat-track bully', has cemented his reputation as one of the most destructive batsmen in T20 cricket: on Tuesday in Wellington he scored 113 runs off 38 balls against New Zealand, returning him to the top of the world T20 rankings. The innings included nine fours and 11 sixes and drew praise even from the opposition — New Zealand batsman Daryl Mitchell, who called some of the shots 'world class'. This is reported by AFP.

A new idol amid a changing of the generations

Veteran journalist Sharda Ugra told AFP that India has a new cricketing idol — against the backdrop of the stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli being in the twilight of their careers. 'He is already the next big thing in Indian cricket... He is a superstar of the new generation,' she said, noting that Abhishek attracts attention with his consistency no less than with his explosive play. His style, according to former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, is 'percentage cricket with calculated risk', not blind hitting. Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif called for an end to talk that Sharma only plays on easy pitches, and suggested giving him a chance in the 50-over format as well.

The path and the statistics

A native of the state of Punjab, Abhishek honed his skills under the guidance of former India star Yuvraj Singh during the Covid-19 lockdown; Yuvraj was among the first to congratulate him after Wellington, writing on X: 'I could not make 100 off 30 or 34 balls. Well played, sir.' Sharma was part of the team that won the 2018 U-19 World Cup under Rahul Dravid, and in the IPL became a star of Sunrisers Hyderabad after an initial spell at Delhi Capitals, forming an opening partnership with the Australian Travis Head. In 71 international T20 matches he has scored 2,267 runs with four hundreds at an average of 33.33; he has not yet played in ODIs or Tests.

Competition and popularity off the field

Sharma's success comes amid fierce competition for places at the top of India's batting order, where wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson and 15-year-old (described by AFP as a 'teenage sensation') Vaibhav Suryavanshi are also fighting for opportunities. According to Ugra, everyone considered Suryavanshi the next superstar, but Abhishek 'snatched' that status for himself, creating a template that is hard to replicate anywhere in the world. Off the field, his growing popularity has brought a number of endorsement deals, making him one of the most marketable faces of the new generation of Indian cricket stars.