Abhishek Sharma Dazzles with 20-Ball Fifty Against England, Earns Praise from Yuvraj Singh

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Abhishek Sharma’s dazzling display in the India vs England 1st T20I at Eden Gardens had a touch of Yuvraj Singh’s flair. The effortless elegance, swagger, and class of his shots were reminiscent of his mentor, Yuvraj. Abhishek, in his blistering knock of 79 off just 34 balls, smashed eight sixes and reached his fifty in just 20 balls. This explosive performance helped India chase down the 133-run target in just 12.5 overs, securing a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Following his stellar performance, Abhishek was met with a standing ovation from the crowd at Eden Gardens. But the highlight of his post-match recognition came from none other than Yuvraj, who shared his admiration in his signature cheeky style.

Among the 13 boundaries Abhishek hit (including eight sixes and five fours), Yuvraj was particularly impressed by two of Abhishek’s sixes and one four hit straight back past the bowler. These shots, struck in the ‘V’ area, stood out for their precision. Yuvraj took to X to commend the young all-rounder: “Good start to the series boys! Great tone set by our bowlers, and well played sir! @IamAbhiSharma4 top knock!! I’m impressed you hit 2 boundaries down the ground as well.”

Abhishek’s knock also saw him join Yuvraj in the elite list of Indian batters to score the fastest fifty against England in T20Is. Yuvraj had set the record back in the 2007 World T20, scoring a half-century in just 12 balls. Abhishek, with his 20-ball fifty, matched this feat in his own explosive way.

An impressive 86.07% of Abhishek’s runs came in boundaries, with 68 of his total runs from his boundaries in this match. Only Rohit Sharma, in a 2017 match against Sri Lanka, had a higher boundary percentage (91.53%) in a knock of 75+ runs in T20Is.

After the match, Abhishek expressed his gratitude towards his captain, Suryakumar Yadav, and head coach Gautam Gambhir for fostering a supportive environment. “I just wanted to express myself. Special thanks to the captain and coach. They’ve given us a lot of freedom, and the way they interact with the young players is incredible. It’s a team environment like no other,” Abhishek said.

Earlier, India’s bowlers, led by Arshdeep Singh (2/17) and Varun Chakaravarthy (3/22), restricted England to a modest 132 runs in their 20 overs. Jos Buttler was the lone performer for England, scoring 68 off 44 balls, as the other batters struggled against India’s bowlers.

India will now head to Chennai for the second T20I, scheduled for Saturday.

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