'Very seldom did you see a Yuvraj Singh six which went just over the boundary rope' - Sunil Gavaskar praises Abhishek Sharma's knock in 1st T20I vs AFG

Abhishek Sharma produced a destructive batting display in India's first T20I against Afghanistan on September 13, 2026, at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

The left-handed batter scored 82 off just 32 balls, striking seven boundaries and seven sixes during his explosive innings. His half-century arrived off 22 balls, setting the tone for India's successful chase. Thanks to his blitzkrieg, India chased down a 157-run target inside 14 overs with seven wickets to spare.

"He has got such great timing. His follow-through goes right behind, just like Yuvraj. When Yuvraj hit that ball, it invariably went into the stands. Very seldom did you see a Yuvraj Singh six which went just over the boundary rope. He (Abhishek) was giving catching practice more to the crowd and the parking attendants than to the ball boys," Gavaskar replied when asked about the southpaw's sensational ball-striking ability during a discussion on Sony Sports.

Abhishek's explosive 82 off 32 balls

Abhishek's innings came after a difficult period in his T20I career. He had entered the match with four consecutive single-digit scores in T20Is and an average of 6.66 in his last six T20Is. His partnership with Ishan Kishan proved crucial for India's chase, as the two batters shared a 121-run second-wicket partnership that accelerated the innings significantly.

Gavaskar also highlighted Abhishek's ability to destroy bowling attacks and said this kind of talent deserves more time and support when things are not going right.

"He has got this capability of destroying attacks, taking the initiative, and destroying the bowler's confidence. That's why you have got to be prepared to accept that there will be times when he will not be scoring runs," Gavaskar said.

Gavaskar called Abhishek a game-changer and a game-breaker for his ability to hit good balls out of the ground. He cited the examples of the sixes Abhishek hit against Noor Ahmad.

"A couple of sixes that he hit off Noor (Ahmad) were off perfectly good deliveries. It's a rare ability to hit good balls for boundaries and sixes, and he has that ability, which is the reason he is a game-changer. He is a game-breaker as well," Gavaskar said.

Aggressive approach and its value

Gavaskar also opined that India's commendable batting depth allows openers Abhishek and Sanju Samson to play an ultra-aggressive brand of cricket from the word go.

"He got 11 runs in three innings in Zimbabwe, but when you have the batting lineup that India has, you actually want this kind of an approach in the first half a dozen overs when there are just two fielders outside, because you still have the capability to recover. You don't want to lose three wickets for 30 runs in the first six overs, but if you have somebody like him and even Sanju, if they get going, it's going to be amazing," Gavaskar said.

Also Read: 'When he starts batting, all grounds look small' - Aakash Chopra lauds Abhishek Sharma after heroics in 1st T20I vs Afghanistan

India successfully chased down Afghanistan's total of 157, winning the match by seven wickets. The chase was completed in 13.4 overs, with 38 balls remaining, demonstrating the effectiveness of the aggressive batting approach that Abhishek had exemplified during his match-winning knock.