Abhishek Sharma was the lone bright spot in India’s four-wicket defeat against Australia in the second T20I at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday (October 31).

Asked to bat first, the Men in Blue were bowled out for 125 in 18.4 overs. Out of those runs, Abhishek scored 68 off 37 balls with the help of 8 boundaries and 2 sixes.

In reply, the hosts overhauled the below-par target in just 13.2 overs to take 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

After the match, legendary spinner R Ashwin heaped praise on the left-handed opener, calling him the next big batting talent in Indian cricket.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin highlighted Abhishek’s natural flair and his keenness to learn from legends.

“I truly believe, man, that the next batting superstar of India is Abhishek Sharma. See, he doesn’t have a problem exactly, not a problem, but a challenge. His challenge is to be able to control that downswing. I was reading somewhere that he still talks to Brian Lara because Lara had a huge backlift. His bat swing was magnificent too, so Abhishek spoke to Lara about controlling that bat swing to be able to play Test cricket,” Ashwin said.

The former India off-spinner went on to say that the southpaw is constantly working on improving his technique.

“Even that day in Canberra, when the match was washed out, he was talking to Shubman Gill. From his gestures, it looked like he was talking about the bat swing and the pull shot. I even have a screenshot from the last game; he was a bit late on the pull shot then. But in this game, he made that correction. He found a way to get it over the top,” Ashwin noted.

He also commended Abhishek’s ability to adapt to tough conditions against quality bowling. “He actually stepped out today, charged down the track, and Australia bowled really well too. They were bowling tight lines, fuller lengths, taking the pace off. But that full ball, especially when you charge at a fast bowler and they try to bowl a yorker, you don’t have width to free your arms. Yet, he was still able to open up his arms and hit it over covers for a boundary,” Ashwin remarked.

Ashwin concluded by calling Abhishek Sharma a rare talent blessed with both skill and acumen.

“These are all very special abilities that a player possesses. I always say, we all work hard, but to make that hard work shine, you need a little gift, that God-given gift. Abhishek Sharma has that gift. He has the mind to think deeply about the game, and he is just an exceptionally talented batter. On a tough pitch and a tough day for India, once again, he gave us a beautiful exhibition of what good batsmanship in T20 cricket looks like.”