I have watched and studied cricket for close to 30 years. I have seen many exceptional players, each with their own uniqueness: the obsession for excellence of Sachin Tendulkar, the intensity of Virat Kohli, the grit of Rahul Dravid, the hunger of Steve Smith. Each of these greats brings a distinct quality to the game. It is through this lens that I studied Abhishek Sharma’s playbook. What does it take to hit sixes from the very first ball? How can someone consistently score fours or sixes? What enables him to do so, and what is going on in his mind?
In Guwahati, Abhishek danced down the pitch to the very first ball he faced and sent it soaring over midwicket for six. And then he did not stop. It was as if every ball were the last of the game, and he was taking guard to finish in style. For him, every ball tells a story. He isn’t concerned with the previous delivery; there is no conventional thinking of taking a single after hitting a six. Instead, relentless hitting and dismantling the opposition is the new mantra—a fresh template and a new playbook.
There is no concept of a powerplay for him; even after the first six overs, he continues. There is a method to this madness: he identifies his spot and attacks it. In Guwahati, he repeatedly targeted the point region against fast bowlers, consistently finding the boundary.
Of course, there will be days when things do not click. In the second game, he fell for a first-ball duck. But even if he scores in only 50 per cent of games, he is likely to win 75 per cent of them. His ability to detach from the previous ball and focus entirely on the present is what sets him apart. It is not about gradually getting in rhythm; it is about the here and now—see the ball, plan, and hit. As a result, India race away in the powerplay, and by the time the opposition dismisses Abhishek, the match is often already decided.
Abhishek is arguably the most destructive batter in world cricket at the moment and could have a major impact on the World Cup. He is unconcerned by conditions; if the ball is there to be hit, he will hit it. He combines the raw power of Chris Gayle with the class of Yuvraj Singh.
Can he continue to score big consistently? Will bowlers eventually figure him out? Could a couple of failures create self-doubt? His fearlessness is key, and the Indian management has played a crucial role by giving him the licence to dominate—something he is executing brilliantly.
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