 "India opener Abhishek Sharma bats against Pakistan in their Asia Cup Group A match in Dubai on Sunday, 14 September. Reuters")
Rising star Abhishek Sharma got India off to yet another rapid start in the Asia Cup in Dubai, this time against arch-rivals Pakistan, helping the Men in Blue seize control early in the game. After his explosive 30 off 16 deliveries helped India chase down a meagre 58-run target set by UAE with 93 deliveries to spare, Abhishek produced an even more fiery knock against the Men in Green, smashing 31 off 13 balls at a strike rate of 238.46.
LIVE | India vs Pakistan Asia Cup, Group A clash in Dubai
And as was the case against the tournament hosts on Wednesday, Abhishek began the chase with a four and a six in the first two deliveries. Haider Ali was the UAE bowler who had been subjected to the ignominious start earlier this week. And on Sunday, it was Shaheen Shah Afridi, one of the premier fast bowlers of the current generation and the leader of the Pakistani attack.
The fireworks, however, were by no means a one-off, with Abhishek smashing Afrid for a six and a four in his next over as well! And shortly after smashing off-spinner Saim Ayub for back-to-back fours in the latter’s second over, Abhishek would pay the price for a shot too many, mis-hitting the ball down the ground after dancing down the track to get caught by Faheem Ashraf near long off.
Social media goes wild over Abhishek’s explosive knock
The impact of Abhishek’s knock, however, was such that the Men in Blue were firmly on top despite losing a couple of wickets in the powerplay, racing to 61/2 at the end of six overs. And he did receive plenty of praise on social media for his explosive start, which we take a look at in greater detail below: