Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has praised Abhishek Sharma’s bat swing after India registered a seven-wicket win in the second T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Tuesday.
Gavaskar reckons Sharma can be a good golfer once he retires from cricket. The left-hander, who scored a brilliant knock of 82 runs off just 32 balls in the series opener against Afghanistan, continued his rich form against the hosts.
The southpaw scored 39 runs off just 19 balls in the second game of the series and provided another quick start to the team. He added 88 runs off just 38 balls with Sanju Samson in the run-chase of 160.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan had fielders in the deep on the leg-side and tried to bowl outside the off-stump to Abhishek Sharma and Gavaskar was asked to give his opinion on the same.
“It allows him the full swing of the bat as well. If you look at his follow-through, it goes right up there, right behind, almost as if the back of the bat is hitting his backside. It just tells you the timing and the power in that,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Sony Sports.
“It’s amazing to watch that. Maybe a few years down the road, when he is finished with the game of cricket, he can be a good golfer with that kind of a swing,” he added.
In the same discussion, Gavaskar highlighted that Sharma has curbed his natural instinct to hit every ball for a boundary or a six.
“Yes, which means he is looking for the long innings. I think that’s another thing that Yuvi has told him – that he has to get hundreds as well, because if he has got to 70 or 80 and there are plenty of overs left, he should be able to get to a hundred,” he replied.
The Little Master said Abhishek and Samson should look to get centuries after they get settled at the crease.
“At the end of the day, maybe not so much in T20 cricket, but centuries are the innings that make a difference to the result. Anybody who gets hundreds in T20 cricket is a terrific player. There are times when teams total 150-160, so it’s impossible for somebody to get a hundred in that, but if you have got the start that Abhishek seems to get, and even Sanju Samson seems to get, a hundred should be there,” Gavaskar observed.
The third and final T20I between Afghanistan and India will be played at Delhi on Thursday.
