‘Can’t expect too much consistency from him’, Robin Uthappa backs struggling Abhishek Sharma, compares him to Virender Sehwag

New Delhi: Robin Uthappa believes it’s unfair to expect consistency from young opener Abhishek Sharma and emphasizes that he should be allowed the freedom to play his natural game in T20I cricket. Uthappa likened Sharma to a young Virender Sehwag, suggesting that his value lies in the impact he brings rather than in consistent performances.

Abhishek Sharma captured attention in the 2024 Indian Premier League with his explosive opening partnership alongside Travis Head for SunRisers Hyderabad. The Punjab opener amassed 484 runs across 16 matches, boasting a remarkable strike rate of 204.21. He smashed 42 sixes and 36 boundaries throughout the season, thriving with his fearless, high-risk approach, particularly during the powerplays.

Abhishek Sharma made his T20I debut after a standout IPL season, where he impressed with his aggressive batting. He marked his second T20I with a remarkable century against Zimbabwe, reaching the milestone in just 47 balls. However, since then, consistency has eluded him in the format, with the young opener failing to surpass 20 runs in his next seven T20I innings. More often than not, Abhishek has been dismissed early, attempting big shots in the powerplay. During the home series against Bangladesh in October, he posted scores of 16, 15, and 4.

On Friday, Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for 7 off 8 deliveries in the ongoing match, falling to Gerald Coetzee in the very first over of the game. The young opener was caught by Aiden Markram while attempting to clear the 30-yard circle and hit a boundary.

“I won’t look for too much consistency with someone like him. I would like to leave him as free as possible, like a Virender Sehwag perhaps in the early 2000s, where people were like ‘just go and enjoy yourself’. Because if it comes, it’s a match-winning hundred or 80, if he gets a quick start, he is still serving the purpose towards the team. So the role is defined. I wouldn’t worry too much about consistency when it comes to Abhishek,” Uthappa told Sports 18 ahead of the T20I series opener in Durban.

It was a disappointing end to Abhishek Sharma’s innings in the first match of the four-match T20I series, as he attempted one shot too many during the powerplay, leading to his dismissal.

“The boy can play, I mean I think the two of them at the top — him and Head set the whole IPL alight with their batting. I mean I think they rubbed off on each other nicely as well. So I think the key is to give him the confidence to just go out there and play the way that he wants to play. I agree that that’s when he is most dangerous. You know, he’s not the type of guy who’s going be consistent, but when he does come off, he’s going win you a match.

“think he plays a massive role in getting the momentum on India’s side as well. And the rest of the batting line and it’s a long batting lineup that can just feed off that momentum. We have seen what happens when a Suryakumar comes in and the runs are on the board,” he said.

Uthappa backed Abhishek Sharma, emphasizing that the Indian batting order will reap the rewards on days when the left-handed opener gets off to an aggressive start.

India got off to a rapid start despite losing Abhishek Sharma early as Sanju Samson and Suryaikumar Yadav tore into the South African new-ball attack. Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to bowl on an overcast afternoon in Durban.