Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif strongly backed opening batter Abhishek Sharma after his sluggish knock in the fourth T20I against West Indies in Hyderabad on Wednesday, October 14. He scored 29 off 24 balls at a strike rate of 120.83 in India’s attempt to chase down a massive 248-run target as well. He also slammed critics questioning Abhishek Sharma’s strike rate and also believes he is not just a powerplay player.

“Many people will say that we slowed down in the middle or that Abhishek Sharma played slowly. But, in reality, all your batters cannot fire on a single day, that will never happen. Abhishek Sharma will not give you 20-ball 60 in every game. He will get out, and he will play slow at times. Sure, we can sit here and criticise that he played slowly and could not accelerate, but the main focus here is the bowling. So, according to me, blaming the batters here would be excessive,” Mohammad Kaif said on Cricbuzz.

“I have seen many times that he is batting on 40 or 50 and when the spinner comes on after the powerplay, he takes them on for a six straightaway because he has already got a start, and he is able to play at his own pace by then. He has scored IPL centuries on this ground, and why is that? Because he is able to take on spin in the middle overs. He is not just a power play batter. People are saying that today he did not get time in the powerplay so he struggled today. I do not believe that at all,” he further added.

READ HERE: “He is not here for the milestones” – Hanuma Vihari on Virat Kohli

Mohammad Kaif said that Abhishek Sharma does not need to be judged based on one knock as it was just his off day. He has four scores of over fifty across his last nine innings, including a match-winning innings in the Asian Games 2026 gold medal match as well.

“I have seen Abhishek Sharma hit sixes even when the field is open after the powerplay. Today was just his off day where he just could not get off to a start. So, he might have been in two minds there. But I don’t believe that he cannot hit boundaries after six overs. He is equally dangerous after the powerplay. I think the less we discuss about it, the better,” Mohammad Kaif concluded.