India’s opening batsman Abhishek Sharma has faced criticism for his recent performance in the first T20I against South Africa in Durban. Former cricketer Aakash Chopra has expressed concerns over Sharma’s aggressive approach, which he believes may be hindering his performance at the international level.
Sharma managed only seven runs off eight balls as India set a 203-run target for South Africa. India eventually won the game comfortably, bowling South Africa out for 141 to register a 61-run victory and take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
However, Chopra noted the stark contrast between Sharma’s performance and that of his opening partner Sanju Samson, who scored a blistering 107 off 50 balls.
“It’s a tale of two openers,” Chopra said in a video posted on his YouTube channel. “There is Sanju (Samson), whose stars are shining bright, on one side. On the other side is Abhishek Sharma, whose stars have fallen.”
Sharma burst onto the scene with a sensational 100 off 47 balls in only his second T20I against Zimbabwe. However, his form has dipped since, with his highest score in seven other T20I innings being just 16.
Chopra criticized Sharma’s shot selection that led to his dismissal against Gerald Coetzee. “The shot he played in this match as well against Gerald Coetzee, it seems like he is a prisoner of his own reputation, that he would play like this only and is not going to wait.”
Chopra warned that continued underperformance could put Sharma’s spot in the team at risk. “It’s been one more failure. A time will come when it will be a problem. Questions will be asked about how long you will stick with him. Again, he will get three more games, but one by one the sand is being seen slipping from his hand,” Chopra remarked.
With three more games in the series, the pressure will be on the 24-year-old to deliver and justify his selection in the squad.
