Abhishek Sharma once again emerged as the lone warrior for India in their four-wicket loss to Australia in the second T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, October 31. Despite India’s struggles with the bat, the young left-hander stood tall against a world-class bowling attack, crafting a fluent 68 off just 37 deliveries. His innings, laced with eight crisp boundaries and two elegant sixes, was the only major highlight in India’s total of 125, which was eventually chased down by the hosts in 13.2 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Following the match, veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin heaped rich praise on Abhishek, calling him the next big batting sensation in Indian cricket. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin admired the youngster’s fearless intent and deep cricketing intelligence, comparing his technical curiosity to that of some of the game’s greats.

“I truly believe the next batting superstar of India is Abhishek Sharma,” Ravichandran Ashwin said. “He doesn’t have a problem — rather, a challenge — which is to control that downswing. I read somewhere that he still talks to Brian Lara. Lara had a huge backlift and an incredible bat swing, and Abhishek consulted him to refine that movement to make himself ready for Test cricket.”

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Ashwin revealed that Abhishek’s attention to detail and constant self-improvement stood out.

“Even in Canberra, when the match was washed out, he was discussing technique with Shubman Gill. It looked like he was talking about the pull shot and bat swing. I noticed in the previous game, he was late on the pull — but in this match, he corrected it beautifully. That’s the sign of a thinking cricketer,” Ravichandran Ashwin observed.

The off-spinner also lauded Abhishek’s ability to adapt to conditions and counter disciplined bowling attacks. “He stepped out today against the pacers, who were bowling tight lines and fuller lengths. When you charge at a bowler, they usually go for the yorker — you lose the width to free your arms — yet he still managed to hit over covers. That shows his timing and class.”

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Ashwin concluded by calling Abhishek a rare blend of skill and cricketing intellect. “We all work hard, but to make that hard work shine, you need a God-given gift. Abhishek Sharma has that gift — the ability to think deeply about the game. On a tough day for India, he once again showcased what elegant T20 batsmanship truly looks like.”