Abhishek Sharma Attributes Century to Gill's Bat in Pressure Game

After smashing a 47-ball century, Abhishek Sharma revealed he used the bat of his childhood friend and current captain, Shubman Gill, in the second T20I against Zimbabwe. He described the bat as a "lucky charm" in a high-pressure game. Abhishek had been dismissed for zero in the first match but bounced back with seven fours and eight sixes, leading India to a 100-run victory.

Abhishek and Gill's journey began in the under-12 category. "It has been quite beautiful, starting as kids of 11-12 years. Yeah, we are playing together from Under-12. When I was selected for the country, the first call I received was from Shubman," said Abhishek during the post-match press conference.

Lucky Bat and Childhood Bond

Abhishek mentioned that using Gill’s bat is a practice he has followed since their age-group cricket days. "Today, I played with his bat, so special thanks to the bat. It happened from the under-12 days, as whenever I play a pressure game I ask him for a bat. It had happened in the IPL as well. Today was no exception as it went well as it usually happens," he explained.

The left-hander also expressed gratitude towards former India batter Yuvraj Singh and his father for encouraging his fearless style of play. "Yuvi paaji Yuvraj Singh has made a big contribution. I don’t consider myself as sixer-king or something like that. Special thanks to my dad for allowing me to play lofted shots," he said.

Handling Pressure and Mindset

Abhishek credited the IPL for helping him handle pressure situations better. "I think the IPL plays a big role in this handling pressure. We did not feel much pressure when we came here to represent the country as debutants," he noted.

Despite being dismissed for a four-ball duck in the first match, Abhishek maintained his mindset and approach. "This is my game and I will go for the shot from the first ball if it’s there in my slot. If it’s my day then it works out, and if it does not, then I don’t mind. I practice a lot for this mindset," he stated.

Execution and Gameplan

In the second match, Abhishek felt he executed his gameplan more effectively. "Of course, my execution was better today than yesterday. I was just calculating the risk that I should take in the first over, or whether to play according to the merit of the ball," he said.

He believes that early boundaries or sixes set the tone for his innings. "Whenever I get boundaries or sixes in the first few balls then I believe that it’s my day," he concluded.