Indian men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir hailed young sensation Abhishek Sharma after the 24-year-old opener smashed an incredible performance for India in the fifth T20I against England on February 2. In the game held at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Abhishek hit 135 runs from as few as 54 balls while hitting 7 fours and 13 sixes to lead India to a massive 150-run victory.

Gambhir, who took charge as head coach in July 2024, was so impressed with Abhishek’s innings that he mentioned it was one of the best he had seen in T20 cricket. Speaking of this explosive performance, he said that the team was absolutely committed to playing fearless cricket-a philosophy he has instilled in the players.
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Gautam Gambhir said, “We are going to continue playing fearless cricket going forward. We want to back players like Abhishek Sharma and be patient with them. Most of these boys believe in this ideology of fearless cricket.” He also hailed Abhishek’s ability to take on bowlers consistently bowling at speeds of 140-150 kph as “something remarkable”.

Abhishek started opening for India and scored a half-century within just 17 balls, with his century arriving on the 37th. This innings helped him become only the sixth Indian batter to achieve multiple T20I centuries.
Sharma also etched his name in the history books by equalling the highest runs and most sixes for India in a T20I match. India won the series 4-1 with his phenomenal effort. Gautam Gambhir hinted that India’s aggressive approach would carry into the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, beginning February 6 in Nagpur.
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Gautam Gambhir reiterated his commitment to an attacking mindset, acknowledging that the team aims for big totals of 250-260 runs, even if it means occasional collapses. “England is a high-quality side, but we don’t fear losing,” Gambhir added. “We want to entertain the crowd and play aggressively in ODIs.”