It's one thing to be a promising talent, but a whole other when you get that acclaim from none other than Sachin Tendulkar. The Master Blaster, arguably the greatest batter of all time and the most complete Indian cricketer, sure knows a thing or two about talent when he sees one. After all, he spotted MS Dhoni's captaincy credentials before anyone else and recommended it to the BCCI. After all, he predicted Mitchell Johnson would have a blockbuster Ashes 2013, and boy, oh boy, didn't it turn out to be Johnson's Ashes. And after all, in 2012, he had tipped Virat Kohli to break his record when no one gave the then-youngster a chance.
History books are filled with Tendulkar's greatness, not only with the bat but as a cricketer and human being. Hence, he is still the benchmark… still the holy grail of batting. At 51, he is all set to return to the cricket field when the International Masters League kicks off February 22. Still following Indian cricket away from the field, Tendulkar knows talent when he sees one, and gathering his compliment on this occasion is young Abhishek Sharma, who continues to dazzle with his breathtaking batting.
"His bat swing is effortless. He has all the shots. He generates an incredible amount of power. It may not be too visible – he is not a big guy – but he has such sweet timing. I love watching him. The way he plays, hits sixes and fours to all parts of the ground. It's a joy to watch," Tendulkar said in an interaction with Star Sports.
How young Abhishek has already made a mark
And it's evident why. Abhishek has captured the imagination of Indian cricket fans worldwide and is already giving competition to the likes of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the team's T20I set-up. Making his debut last year against Zimbabwe, Abhishek struck a century in just his second game and has gone on to make two fifties as well – the most recent being a knock of 79 against England at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, leading India to a comprehensive win.
{{/usCountry}}And it's evident why. Abhishek has captured the imagination of Indian cricket fans worldwide and is already giving competition to the likes of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the team's T20I set-up. Making his debut last year against Zimbabwe, Abhishek struck a century in just his second game and has gone on to make two fifties as well – the most recent being a knock of 79 against England at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, leading India to a comprehensive win.
{{/usCountry}}A protégé of the great Yuvraj Singh, Abhishek is being talked about as one of the next big things in Indian cricket. He set the IPL 2024 on fire, blazing away to 484 runs and playing an instrumental role in leading Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final. Abhishek's strike rate of 182.75 after just 15 T20Is speaks volumes about his big-hitting abilities, which Tendulkar very aptly mentioned.