Abhishek Sharma managed 145 runs in five T20Is against West Indies.
Persistent rain led to the match being shortened to 9 overs per side, and India was asked to bat first by Windies captain Shai Hope. Abhishek Sharma managed to hit one boundary in his 4-ball six-run knock. His fellow opener, Sanju Samson, made 16 in 7 balls, and India looked like it would struggle to make significant runs in 9 overs.
But then Ishan Kishan made 30 in 10 balls, and Naman Dhir smashed 24* in 6 balls as India made 118/5 in 7.4 overs before rains poured in and the match had to be called off. The series ended in a draw at 2-2, with India and the West Indies sharing the trophy.
Abhishek Sharma had a difficult series where he managed only 145 runs with only one fifty, with a strike rate of 181.25, hitting 14 fours and 9 sixes.
After the fifth T20I in Bengaluru ended, former India opener Aakash Chopra reflected on Abhishek's struggles. He admitted that the left-hander had not performed up to his typical level, but he emphasized that these moments are normal for a batter who constantly seeks to attack.
Given Abhishek's high-risk, high-reward mentality, he continued, a few lackluster innings shouldn't be a reason for alarm.
“In the last game, when he didn’t get many strikes, he looked a bit scratchy. He didn’t get any rhythm at all, and let’s discount whatever happened in this game. So, he was a bit below par by his standards in the series, but that is also going to happen," Chopra told JioStar.
Chopra pointed to Abhishek’s performances against Afghanistan to illustrate how a batter’s returns can vary from one series to another.
“That is another reality of the brand of cricket you play. You will always find that there might be a series, like the one against Afghanistan recently, where he scored a hundred in one game and a 70 in another, but then there will be another series where he would have a soft dismissal in one game, then another soft dismissal, play one good inning, and then get dismissed by a good delivery in another," Chopra said.
“These things are going to happen. Anyone who plays at a strike rate of 200 is bound to have a few games like these. That he will keep getting runs consistently, that is our misconception," he added.
Abhishek Sharma will now be in action in T20Is when India tours New Zealand for a five-match series beginning on October 22. India will also play five ODIs and two Tests.