‘It hurts when you can’t give it back’: Abhishek Sharma breaks silence after nightmare Zimbabwe tour

Indian batsman Abhishek Sharma (AP Photo) India completed the T20I series 3-0 over Zimbabwe, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi dominating the headlines after the 15-year-old became the youngest ever player to win the Player of the Series award in men’s international cricket.Sooryavanshi declared himself with a blistering 50 off just 18 balls in the first T20I, followed it up with 20 off nine deliveries in the second match and ended the series with a brilliant 81 off 49 balls in the third and final T20I.However, the success Sooryavanshi enjoyed was in stark contrast to that of his opening partner, Abhishek Sharma. The left-hander endured a disastrous series against Zimbabwe, managing scores of 1, 8 and 2.His matches extend beyond the Zimbabwe tour. During India’s recent T20I assignments in the UK against Ireland and England and the Zimbabwe series, Abhishek managed just half a century. He has scored 10, 16, 3, 1, 8 and 2 in his last six T20Is for India, underscoring a worrying dip in form.After the series, Abhishek took to Instagram to express his disappointment.“It hurts when you can’t give back what so many people believe you’re capable of. But this game always rewards those who keep showing up. Happy the team won. They’ll come back stronger.”

Insta post by Abhishek Sharma

With Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise, Abhishek is likely to feel the pressure. Sanju Samson, despite being India’s player of the tournament during their T20 World Cup triumph, is still waiting for a place in the playing eleven, making the competition for starting spots even more intense.India’s next T20I assignment is at the Asian Games in September, followed by a home series against the West Indies in October, giving Abhishek more than two months to address his shortcomings. For now, the only way forward is to put his head down, go back to the drawing board and rediscover the form that made him one of India’s most exciting T20 batsmen.