Abhishek Sharma scored a magnificent 79 off 34 balls against England in the first T20I in Kolkata on Wednesday (Jan 22), slamming eight maximums and five fours, powering India to a seven-wicket win with 43 balls to spare. The rookie opener reflected on his performance, crediting the management for supporting him throughout, allowing him to play aggressively yet freely.

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Understanding the fight for the opener's spot in India, especially in the shortest format, Abhishek admitted that the captain and the coach backed him to keep his intent, boosting his confidence.

Also read | IND vs ENG, 1st T20I: Abhishek Sharma equals Yuvraj Singh's record in India's win

"I have thought always from the start to be a team player," Abhishek said after the 1st T20I against England. 

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"In India, there will always be a lot of competition [when it comes to selection] in our senior team. But when Suryakumar [Yadav, the T20I captain] and Gautam [Gambhir] paaji tell me to always keep my intent, that was a big moment for me, that when the team wants me to do that, then I can do it,” he added.

Reflecting on the support he got from the management, Abhishek said, 

"As a batsman, it can play on your mind if you don't score runs in three-four-five innings, but the way the coach and captain have managed all the players, even when I've not done well - even then they tell us, 'we know you're going to win the game for us, any game, just go and express yourself' - I think when the captain or coach say this, you get confidence and you back yourself.”

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Experience working with Yuvraj Singh

Indian cricket legend Yuvraj Singh took Abhishek Sharma under his wings during the Covid period, transforming him into a T20 beast, something the youngster appreciates and feels grateful for. 

Talking in detail about how far he had come from being a prospect to becoming one of the most-feared top-order batters in T20 cricket, Abhishek said,

"I believe I'm very lucky in this," he said. 

"I was working with Yuvi paaji [Yuvraj Singh] at first. Going forward, I had Brian Lara, who really helped me at SRH. Moving forward, Dan Vettori was pretty simple, he just wanted everyone to express themselves, and I think that gave me the freedom to play my shots. So obviously, with Yuvraj Singh, Brian Lara and even Gauti bhai right now, they just want me to showcase my talent the way I play and to back myself,” he continued. 

Meanwhile, India drew first blood in this five-match T20I series, with their next game scheduled for Saturday (Jan 25) in Chennai. 

(With inputs from agencies)