‘We believe in karma, we believe in Sharma’- Aakash Chopra, draws parallels between Rohit, Abhishek

Abhishek Sharma played a major role in India’s ability to easily chase down England’s 133-run goal in the opening Twenty20 International of the five-match series. He hit 79 runs off 34 balls, including five fours and eight maximums. With seven wickets and forty-three deliveries remaining, the home team won the first game of the series.

Aakash Chopra, a former cricket player who is now a broadcaster, praised Abhishek’s furious knock and even compared the southpaw’s style of play to that of Rohit when he was playing T20I.

“We believe in Sharma and in karma, Abhishek Sharma. That’s what we used to say to Rohit. He has completed the Abhishek (made an auspicious initiation), but it is too soon to say the same thing about him. In a recent video that he uploaded to his YouTube page, Chopra said, “I thought it was an important innings.”

Wasn’t scoring many runs, therefore he was under pressure: Aakash Chopra

The former Delhi opener went on to say that, with players vying for the starting place circling him, his innings at the Eden Gardens was vital. Because he had been playing but hadn’t amassed many runs, Abhishek Sharma was under pressure.

They drop you if you get out three times, but this team’s strategy is to hit fours and sixes and make the most of the powerplay. They had Yashasvi to gaze at. No one would have blinked an eyelid or raised an eyebrow if he had played in this series,” Chopra continued.

All of India’s bowlers were spot on, with the exception of Hardik Pandya, who had a lackluster day with the ball. Arshdeep Singh’s two-wicket haul made him India’s top wicket-taker in Twenty20 Internationals. Varun Chakravarthy, the eventual Player of the Match, finished with stats of 3/23 in his four overs after halting England’s momentum with a double-wicket over. Both Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel were frugal as well, giving up just 22 runs apiece in their respective quotas.