Abhishek Sharma struck 69 runs off 30 balls during India’s 3rd T20I against West Indies in Indore on October 11, 2026. The left-handed batter hit six fours and five sixes as India posted 223 runs and won by 14 runs, restricting West Indies to 209 for 7.
Yuzvendra Chahal, the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru spinner, offered detailed analysis of Sharma’s performance and approach.
“The best thing about him is that he is playing the same way as he started in his first match. He hasn’t changed anything in his game, and that’s a big reason why he is successful,” Chahal said on Star Sports.
Chahal’s observation centred on Sharma’s unwavering approach to batting since his international debut. The spinner emphasised that Sharma has maintained the same mindset and technique throughout his T20I career, which has proven effective across different match situations and opposition attacks. Chahal noted that when Sharma fires, he finishes the match decisively.
“Absolutely, the way he started in the first three matches of the World Cup, the runs hadn’t come, but then he scored runs in the final, and then the runs in the Asian Games final. When he fires, he finishes the match. You don’t have to go to the other batters,” Chahal said.
Sharma’s tactical approach and batting technique
Chahal examined how Sharma handled the opening phase of his innings against West Indies. The former spinner noted that Sharma’s decision-making in the first over demonstrated tactical awareness and technical understanding of the match situation, particularly against Roston Chase’s bowling.
“He showed respect in the first over. He figured out the pace on the wicket and how much it was spinning. If you are an opener and have the ability to cover later, his decision was right to have a look at two or three balls in the first over, and he knew at what pace the ball was coming and how much it was spinning. So, it became easy for him when Chase came to bowl his second over,” Chahal said.
Chahal also broke down Sharma’s batting technique and the mechanics that make him difficult for bowlers to contain. He described how Sharma’s positioning and use of timing rather than raw power create a unique challenge for opposition bowlers.
“He has the reach. When he moves away from the stumps, it comes to the bowler’s mind that he is showing him his stumps and is standing on the fifth or sixth stump, and whether he would miss, but he doesn’t miss. He wants you to bowl there. He is hitting with just timing and is not putting any power,” Chahal said.
“He is already standing on the sixth stump. So you have the option to bowl on the ninth stump. It won’t be called a wide, but you keep following him and getting hit for sixes,” he added.
Sharma’s performance in Indore marked another strong showing in his T20I career. The batter has established himself as a consistent performer in the format, with his approach and temperament drawing praise from experienced cricketers like Chahal.
