Despite Match-Winning 74 vs Pakistan, Abhishek Sharma Given Massive Advice By Virender Sehwag

Abhishek Sharma set the stage on fire in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash between India and Pakistan on Sunday. The Indian opener smashed 74 runs off just 39 balls, building the foundation for India to cruise to a six-wicket victory. Such was his prowess that it seemed at one stage that he would slam a century even though the target was only 172. Legendary former India opener Virender Sehwag gave Abhishek a cheeky piece of advice after the match.

"Many congratulations for your innings. But I would like to say that, jab sattar par pahunch jao toh hundred miss mat karo (When you cross the 70-run mark, don't miss out on a hundred). The great Sunil Gavaskar had told me this," Sehwag said in an interaction on Sony Sports.

Abhishek was at his destructive best against Pakistan, smashing six boundaries and five sixes en route to his 74.

By the time Abhishek got out, India were already at 123 in the 13th over.

Meanwhile, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin hailed Abhishek Sharma for his impressive knock against Pakistan in India's six-wicket win in the Asia Cup Super Four game, saying the youngster will blow the cricketing world apart.

Analysing the game and the players' performances, Ashwin, speaking on his YouTube channel, praised Sharma's style of play while adding that the youngster had just begun.

“Abhishek Sharma hit an inside-out MS Dhoni-style helicopter cover drive. Everybody will talk about the five sixes that he hit, but I want to talk about this cover drive, because there was finesse in this shot. Despite only having one bat swing, he can adjust his down swing.

"If one batter, with one down swing, can make batting look so easy, then why will you not watch that batsman day in and day out. I want to tell you that this is not the arrival of Abhishek Sharma, this is just the beginning," said Ashwin.

“He has just started, and he has a long future ahead. He is going to blow the cricketing world apart. Take that in writing. He has so much ability, just like how Yuvraj Singh became India's marquee white-ball cricketer. He can reach that level easily. I think he is going to carry Yuvraj's legacy forward; he is a phenomenal talent,” Ashwin added.

Sharma stitched a 105-run opening stand with Shubman Gill as the duo sent the Pakistani bowlers to the cleaners.

With IANS inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

Abhishek Sharma Virender Sehwag India Cricket Team Sunil Gavaskar Asia Cup 2025 Cricket