Former Indian all-rounder and commentator Irfan Pathan has revealed that there were a lot of calls to axe Abhishek Sharma the moment his form dipped earlier this year, adding that the Southpaw knows how to shut his critics in style.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Irfan showered praise on Sharma, who scored an exceptional 113-run knock off 38 balls with nine fours and 11 sixes in the third T20I against New Zealand, propelling India to a comfortable six-wicket win in only 13.2 overs.
“If anything goes wrong, even a little bit, people want him to be dropped. This happens especially on social media; I am not talking about the team management or selectors. They are very clear; they know that he is our number one player and performs whenever he gets a chance,” Irfan said on his YouTube channel.
“You would remember the World Cup final. I had given a statement that I would still back him when he was not performing. He has done a wonderful job. He is the best and most fearless hitter in the world. The way he hits on the off side is unbelievable,” he added.
“If you keep bowling the same line to him, allowing him to play on the off side, he won’t spare you. That’s why it is very difficult to bowl to him. If the pitch is not slow, or you don’t change your lines again and again, it is difficult to survive. The century was a once-in-a-lifetime achievement because scoring a century on New Zealand soil is not a regular thing for an Indian player,” he concluded.
In the third T20I, New Zealand batted first and posted a whopping total of 198/3 in 20 overs. Finn Allen (40) and Daryl Mitchell (89*) shone in the first innings. In the chase, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (45 off 19) and Abhishek Sharma (113 off 38) were the top batters.
