India opener Abhishek Sharma seemed to take a subtle dig at none other than Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi after India’s triumph over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final on September 28, saying that his plan to play attacking cricket from the very first ball of the powerplay remains the same, no matter if even a “premier” fast bowler is up against him. Abhishek Sharma was India’s prolific batter from the top order and one of the driving forces in their ninth Asia Cup triumph.
While Abhishek had been leading India’s attacking intent from the opening spot, ending the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 314 runs in seven matches, his aggressive approach from the very start of every innings left fans speechless. Speaking at the post-match presentation after receiving the Player of the Tournament award, Abhishek made it clear that his plan involved taking no prisoners and attacking every bowler he faced, subtly hinting at Shaheen Afridi.
Asia Cup final: Report | Highlights
“If you see that I had a plan, if I get spinners or pacers in the powerplay, I’m going to utilize that powerplay. Because if you see any bowler, even a fast bowler, any of the premium fast bowlers as well, I want to go from the first ball, no matter who’s the bowler. And obviously that’s going to make me give that impact to the team. And that’s what I want to do,” Abhishek said.
Abhishek and Shaheen had a war of words after India’s opener brushed the Pakistan pacer aside, hitting Shaheen for a six on the very first ball of the innings during the India vs Pakistan Super 4 clash. Tensions had been high ahead of this key matchup, but things did not spill over in the summit clash on Sunday.
Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for just 5 by Faheem Ashraf in the final during India’s 147-run chase, part of the initial scare India faced, which was later compounded by the early dismissals of Shubman Gill and skipper Suryakumar Yadav. But India did not require their top batter to fire, as Tilak Verma, Shivam Dube, and Sanju Samson stepped up, guiding the Suryakumar Yadav-led side to their ninth Asia Cup title.
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