Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma have known each other for years, having shared India’s dressing room, opened together at the international level, and come through the Punjab cricket system. On Monday, however, the long-time teammates turned rivals as Fazilka Falcons took on Amritsar Soormas in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League at the I.S. Bindra Stadium in Mohali.
Gill won the first battle between the two Punjab stars with a stunning assault against Abhishek, who returned to bowl the 10th over. The Fazilka captain smashed the opening delivery straight down the ground for six before finding the boundary through deep mid-wicket. He then cleared the ropes again off the fifth ball to complete a sensational 6, 4, 6 sequence.
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Gill appeared set for a dominant half-century, but Abhishek had the final say. Attempting another big shot, Gill picked out Naman Dhir and departed for a brilliant 67 off 35 balls. His innings featured eight fours and three sixes. Fazilka Falcons finished their innings on 191/6, with Pranshu Pratap and Sanvir Singh contributing 40 each.
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Abhishek quickly turned the contest around with the bat. Opening alongside Sahaj Dhawan, the left-hander produced an explosive 15-ball 49, smashing six fours and four sixes at a strike rate above 300. He narrowly missed out on a half-century but gave Amritsar Soormas the perfect start, with the opening pair adding 79 runs.
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Fazilka fought back after Abhishek’s dismissal, reducing Amritsar to 152/5. However, Rahul Kumar remained composed and finished unbeaten on 53 off 35 balls to guide the Soormas to a four-wicket victory with four deliveries remaining.
Gill’s 67 was the highest individual score of the match, while Abhishek’s breathtaking 49 proved equally important. The result kept Amritsar’s semifinal hopes alive and added another memorable chapter to the rivalry between two Punjab teammates.
