'He took 5-6 deliveries, which is a lot for him' - Cheteshwar Pujara lauds Abhishek Sharma after Indore heroics

Abhishek Sharma produced a match-winning performance in the third T20I against West Indies at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on October 11, 2026. The left-handed batter struck 69 runs off just 30 deliveries, an innings that included five sixes and six fours. His explosive knock helped India post 223, which proved decisive as West Indies managed 209 for 7 in reply, giving India a 14-run victory and a 2-1 series advantage in the five-match contest.

Cheteshwar Pujara offered insight into Sharma's approach during the innings, noting how the batter managed his aggression intelligently. The southpaw reached his half-century in just 18 deliveries, demonstrating his natural attacking instincts. However, Pujara observed that Sharma displayed unusual restraint early in his knock, particularly against West Indies' Roston Chase, who had been effective with the ball in the previous match.

"He took 5-6 deliveries, which is a lot for him. He is an explosive batter who doesn't like to give any respect [to bowlers]. But, he himself said in the interview that because Roston Chase has bowled really well against him, he wanted to look at the way he is bowling, look at the pitch, what kind of assistance he is getting. And after that, he freed his arms. He knew how Chase was bowling and also where were his scoring opportunities." Pujara said.

How Sharma balanced restraint and aggression

Sharma's measured approach against Chase in the early overs reflected a calculated strategy. Rather than attacking immediately, Sharma assessed Chase's bowling patterns and the pitch conditions before committing to aggressive strokes. Once he identified the opportunities, he capitalised decisively, hitting two sixes and a four off Chase's second over to shift the momentum in India's favour.

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Sharma's partnership with Ishan Kishan yielded 108 runs off 40 balls, providing India with a strong foundation. The batter's ability to combine caution with aggression proved crucial in building the total that ultimately proved too much for West Indies. The Punjab cricketer also achieved a significant milestone by becoming the fastest batter to 2000 T20I runs by balls faced, reaching the mark in 1024 deliveries and surpassing Suryakumar Yadav's previous record of 1164 balls.