Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has expressed his belief in Abhishek Sharma's potential as a full-time left-arm spinner and urged the young all-rounder to focus more on his bowling.
Harbhajan’s comments came after Abhishek’s record-breaking performance in India’s 150-run victory over England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, where he smashed India's second-fastest T20I century, reaching the landmark in just 37 balls.
Abhishek was absolutely sensational in his power-hitting performance as he smashed 13 sixes — the most by an Indian batter in a T20I innings — to help India post a commanding total of 247 runs. His knock sent the English bowlers into a tailspin as the visitors were eventually bowled out for 97 in just 10.3 overs, giving India a dominating win.
However, as someone who has been watching Abhishek grow since the early stages of his career, Harbhajan believes that the batsman has bowling skills with huge, untapped potential that can make him a far more valuable all-rounder for the side.
Though Abhishek, as a batter, has already made all of his marks, what this champion believes is that Abhishek, if he focuses more on the bowling, can take the game up another notch.
"I would like to see Abhishek bowl a bit more. He is a very good bowler. When I saw him early in his career, I saw that his seam position was excellent. But he doesn't put as much effort into bowling as he does into batting," said Harbhajan on the sidelines of ILT20.
"Every time he meets me, I remind him — even now— that we need to talk about his bowling first. Batting is his first love, and he will continue to excel at it. But he can certainly work more on his bowling. He possesses all the qualities of a good left-arm spinner."
Though Abhishek didn't have much runs on board, his bowling has been promising. A left-arm spinner, he has six wickets in his T20I career and an economy rate of little over 6 in his 19 overs. This fits into the template of India's approach, under coach Gautam Gambhir; the team was working to formulate some well-crafted batters who could also contribute a bit to bowling.
Harbhajan also took the opportunity to reflect on Abhishek’s journey, particularly his fearless attitude, which was evident from his early days in domestic cricket.
Abhishek made his Ranji Trophy debut for Punjab in 2017 under Harbhajan’s captaincy, and even at the age of 17, his fearless approach to batting was clear.
"He was fearless from the start. He doesn't concern himself with the bowler's reputation—if the ball is in his arc, he will go for the shot," Harbhajan recalled.
"I remember a four-day game where the mid-wicket was on the boundary and a left-arm spinner was bowling. But Abhishek stepped out and hit a six. I didn't want to change him. He was naturally fearless, and if I could help him improve, I was always willing."
That match saw Abhishek score 94 runs on his debut, and that ended the season with 202 runs in just four matches—a promising start that showcased his potential as an aggressive batter. "I simply admired how fearlessly Abhishek played. As a mentor, he could only help refine those instincts rather than change them," recollected Harbhajan.
Abhishek was a giant of a contribution to the recent five-match T20I against England. He managed to top the run charts as the leading run-getter, with 279 runs, so close to almost double that of second-placed Jos Buttler. His cricketing was a cracker of consistency and explosive power, while all-round contributions made India share a heavy lead over the series.
"Abhishek Sharma's all-round performance in the series was exceptional," said Harbhajan. "He not only batted but proved that he can be a huge asset with the ball as well. He just needs to get his skills up to the mark, and he has no ceiling to what he can do further."
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