Abhishek Sharma has had fairly an entertaining first week in India colors in Harare. Stepping as much as fill within the void left by giants Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the dashing left-hander, only one T20I outdated, whipped up a 46-ball century in his second recreation in as many days.
The 23-year-old didn’t sparkle within the different two knocks. Nevertheless, Abhishek has not let go of the obsession to focus on the deep mid-wicket fence for sixes.
The Punjab and SRH batsman tried a six on debut in that area however holed out for a duck. He went straightaway for an additional most and linked it within the first over within the second T20I. Batting with Travis Head within the IPL this 12 months, Abhishek had not skilled a block in slam-bang batting, ending with a strike price above 200 all through the season.
However the Zimbabweans and Harare pitch briefly compelled Abhishek to function in gradual gears earlier than accelerating spectacularly. The left-hander was on 27 off 23 deliveries earlier than being dropped. The payback was laborious as he cracked 72 off the following 23 balls (strike price: 303). Whereas he’s the quickest Indian (when it comes to innings) to get to a T20I hundred, Abhishek’s skills to speed up the tempo of his knock and the six-hitting capability stood out.
Two seasons of constant runs and sixes throughout T20s – within the IPL and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy – have marked his exponential rise. Regardless of the presence of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal within the T20I set-up, it could be troublesome to not again and carry the skills of Abhishek within the prime order shifting ahead.
Has he hit world-beating requirements? He’s midway there.
Taking up the world with sixes
Since 2023, solely 4 prime order (1-3) batters – Will Jacks, Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Rahmanullah Gurbaz – have smashed over 100 sixes in all T20s. Abhishek is sixth (93) on the charts and the very best amongst all Indians save Suryakumar Yadav (99), who typically bats decrease within the order.
|
High-order (1-3) batters with most sixes since 2023 |
|||||
|
Participant |
Inns |
Runs |
SR |
6s |
Balls Per Sixes |
|
Will Jacks |
66 |
1900 |
164.93 |
120 |
9.6 |
|
Jos Buttler |
83 |
2880 |
143.64 |
113 |
17.74 |
|
Phil Salt |
79 |
2141 |
165.32 |
105 |
12.33 |
|
Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
71 |
1684 |
139.75 |
102 |
11.81 |
|
Muhammad Waseem |
48 |
1604 |
158.65 |
95 |
10.64 |
|
Abhishek Sharma |
37 |
1267 |
185.77 |
93 |
7.33 |
|
Faf du Plessis |
58 |
2076 |
151.97 |
93 |
14.5 |
|
Kyle Mayers |
51 |
1281 |
144.41 |
85 |
10.43 |
|
Alex Hales |
81 |
1921 |
136.72 |
84 |
16.72 |
|
Saim Ayub |
59 |
1511 |
141.74 |
84 |
12.69 |
Nevertheless, the speed of Abhishek’s six-hitting and relatively fewer innings trumps all of the main top-order batters within the interval. Abhishek has hit a most each 7.33 deliveries with the very best strike price (185.77) amongst all 50 top-order bats who’ve amassed a minimum of 1000 runs on this interval.
The six-hitting charges are solely hovering this 12 months, with Abhishek smashing 50 sixes in 19 innings to date, 41 as an opener and 9 in two innings at no. 3 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Apparently, he has hit extra sixes (50) than fours (44) to this point this 12 months, with the maximums contributing over 50 p.c (300 of 594) of his complete runs.
|
Most T20 sixes by Indians in a calendar 12 months |
|||||
|
Participant |
12 months |
Innings |
Runs |
4s |
6s |
|
Suryakumar Yadav |
2022 |
41 |
1503 |
133 |
85 |
|
Rishabh Pant |
2018 |
31 |
1209 |
122 |
66 |
|
SS Iyer |
2019 |
42 |
1264 |
95 |
63 |
|
YBK Jaiswal |
2023 |
36 |
1297 |
165 |
57 |
|
KL Rahul |
2022 |
31 |
1050 |
72 |
56 |
|
RD Gaikwad |
2023 |
29 |
1199 |
110 |
56 |
|
KL Rahul |
2019 |
31 |
1262 |
111 |
54 |
|
Abhishek Sharma |
2024 |
19 |
594 |
44 |
50 |
Abhishek is just a few strokes away from breaking the Indian prime order document for many T20 sixes in a calendar 12 months, at the moment held by Jaiswal, who slammed 57 in a breakthrough 2023 season.
The general Indian T20 document is up at 85 with Suryakumar Yadav, who achieved the feat in 2022.
The Gayle phenom
Having stormed to the half-century mark in a flash, the larger query now could be whether or not Abhishek can climb to Mt. 100, a landmark dominated by Chris Gayle.
Gayle, T20 cricket’s batting colossus, continues to signify all main ‘sixes’ data within the format. Hitting 1000-plus T20 sixes takes some hustle yearly. Between 2011-2017, the Jamaican duly smashed 100-plus maximums in all however one calendar 12 months.
|
Gayle batting in |
Inns |
Runs |
4s |
6s |
|
2015 |
36 |
1665 |
123 |
135 |
|
2012 |
38 |
1532 |
100 |
121 |
|
2011 |
31 |
1497 |
112 |
116 |
|
2016 |
47 |
1304 |
93 |
112 |
|
2017 |
43 |
1291 |
84 |
101 |
|
2019 |
41 |
1080 |
68 |
101 |
|
2013 |
33 |
1344 |
98 |
100 |
Gayle’s otherworldly 2015 season bore an eye-popping 135 sixes from solely 36 innings. He scored 1665 runs that 12 months, 1302 (78.19 per cent) of which got here from boundaries with a six each 7.49 deliveries. Andre Russell is the one different batter to hit 100 sixes in a calendar 12 months, reaching the feat in 2019.
The seven years from 2011 to 2017 contributed to 685 of Gayle’s 1065 sixes, highlighting the sheer longevity and vary of the previous West Indies opener’s elite power-hitting.
Can Abhishek catch up?
Crossing Gayle’s 135 shall be a miraculous achievement even by the requirements of accelerating T20 leagues as we speak. Nevertheless, West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran and South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen threaten to catch up this 12 months, having already slammed 97 and 89 sixes respectively.
Abhishek’s progress over the rest of the 12 months shall be intriguing for no different opener/top-order batter has threatened (besides Brendon McCullum with 94 in 2017) to the touch 100 sixes a 12 months.
With India slated to play 12 extra T20Is and Abhishek more likely to be a part of Punjab’s Syed Mushtaq Ali 2024-25 Trophy marketing campaign, the southpaw might find yourself having a hoard of a minimum of 19 matches to tick off a whopping batting benchmark earlier than New 12 months ‘25.