Abhishek Sharma appears to be in good touch ahead of his Vijay Hazare Trophy stint with Punjab and produced a six-hit exhibition during a clean sweep that underlined both his form and intent.
According to a PTI report, he was in flying form and wanted to pick up where he left off from his stellar year with the Indian T20I side.
For nearly an hour at the Anantam Cricket Ground on the outskirts of Jaipur, defense was an afterthought for the world No.1 T20 batsman. Abhishek launched at least 45 sixes in a session that resembled a specialized exercise rather than a routine net. His focus was clear: attacking spin bowling on a surface that offered grip and sharp turn.
Abhishek faced a steady diet of off-spin, leg-spin and orthodox left-arm bowling. Despite the request to start the light cylinder, the pitch continued to misbehave, with deliveries either rising clumsily or remaining alarmingly low. Short lengths troubled him at times, but his footwork quickly provided the answer.
After being beaten several times, Abhishek quickly adapted. He used his feet well, striding to the spinners and heading into the gaps with confidence. Whenever the length was pulled, he moved down the track and lifted the ball comfortably, often clearing the infield with ease.
Several of his shots flew over special cover, underscoring his intent to dominate the rotation. On several occasions, the ball even landed out of bounds near adjacent buildings, attracting the attention of teammates and support staff watching the session.
The netting setup was later tweaked to test it further, with the netting placed on a short extra cover to punish poorly timed shots. Abhishek fell into this trap once but made quick fixes and took more direct options to keep the scoreboard moving.
Due to BCCI protocols, Abhishek could not bat in the designated match strip which was not officially marked. Instead, he spent more time bowling left-arm and exchanging information with the coaching staff during the session.
As the rest of the squad completed their training, the Punjab skipper landed again and briefly faced the pacers. He also offered advice to one of the young pitchers on how to tighten up the lineup, reflecting his involvement beyond just the bat.
Overall, the session offered an insight into Abhishek’s readiness ahead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The ease with which he relaxed and his ability to adapt quickly stood out, suggesting he is well-placed to carry his strong form into the domestic season.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
December 28, 2025
