Abhishek Sharma who was included in the Indian T20I team looked rather helpless in the first T20I against Ireland, he came back strongly in the second T20I against Zimbabwe on Sunday (July 7) and scored 100 runs in just 47 balls. While setting Harare Sports Club’s crease, the 23-year old first left handed striker of the team was able to make seven fours and eight sixes. The 100-run knock in his second international match must have built a lot of confidence in Abhishek, but before the T20I clash between India and Zimbabwe on Wednesday, former Zimbabwe captain and an eminent batsman Andy Flower has put the boy on alert saying there is big competition.
FLOWER FORESEES A THRILLING BATTLE: Jaiswal vs Abhishek for India’s Opener Slot Amidst T20 Transition
As India is in the transitional phase now that Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli quit T20Is, a contest between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek as they fight for the opener slot is one to look forward to, says Flower. The age-old conventional style of opening with a left-hand top-order player is followed with Jaiswal, who plays attacking cricket similar to Abhishek. He was in the Indian team that triumphed in the T20 World Cup 2024 last month though he was an unused substitute throughout the tournament’s eight games.
FLOWER WELCOMES COMPETITION: Jaiswal’s Rise Creates Thriving Battle for Opener Spot in Indian Squad
In an interaction with the Sony Sports, Flower, 56-year-old said, “But we have got Jaiswal still coming into the series, haven’t we? Such competition is what the Indian selectors and all the Indian followers seek. It makes it quite attractive and fantastic for the Indian game if they have many choices like that. ”
They Guts of the Zimbabwe cricket team congratulated Abhishek for his batting in the Second T20I match and the Zimbabwe former captain stated that he is eager to see more of Abhishek in the remaining matches.
“He should be confident at the moment, coming off such a great IPL and then getting a hundred in his second international match. So what a great start! It’s really important to get those runs as a young player because confidence and self-belief are so important to your chances of doing well. So, I am very happy for him, and I am looking forward to seeing more of him in this series,” Flower added.
Hence, after joining the remaining T20 World Cup 2024 winning team members after returning to India, Jaiswal participated in the victory parade in Mumbai on the 4th of July before flying to Zimbabwe for preparation and selection in the last three T20I matches.