Asia Cup 2025: Abhishek takes dig at Shaheen-led PAK pace attack, dismisses parallels with Sehwag

Abhishek Sharma proved to be India’s best batter on the day against Pakistan in the Super Four tie in Dubai on Sunday (Sep 21). The left-handed opener played a match-winning innings while chasing, scoring 74 off 39 balls, including five sixes and six fours. Although his wide range of shots and sixes received massive appreciation globally, his verbal altercations with Pakistan’s premier pacers, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, made headlines. Against Shaheen, Abhishek smashed a first-ball six over the fine leg, while against Haris Rauf, the left-hander enjoyed finding gaps at will, who also got into an ugly altercation with him.

During a post-match show with the broadcasters, the host drew parallels between Abhishek hitting Shaheen for a first-ball six with Sehwag’s knack of hitting bowlers for a boundary on the first delivery; the most famous example of which was during the home ODI World Cup in 2011, when Sehwag hammered a first-ball boundary on four occasions. While Sehwag praised Abhishek for his impressive outing, the rookie opener played down any comparisons with India's great, saying that, unlike the bowling attack that Sehwag faced in his time, today’s bowlers miss that zeal.

“The bowlers that Viru paaji has hit, I don’t think there’s anyone like those bowlers," Abhishek said on Sony Sports after the match.

Sehwag’s golden advice to Abhishek

Sehwag, perhaps the most dangerous opener across formats, advised Abhishek on something that could elevate his growing career and put him in the league of the best batters around.

"Whenever you reach 70, don't miss out on 100 because Sunil Gavaskar said to me – when you retire, you'll remember the innings where you got out on 70 or 80. If you convert those, maybe your career will have more hundreds because these opportunities don't come again and again. When you're batting well, on your day, try to go not out – it's better," Sehwag said.

Meanwhile, Abhishek continues to run riot in the Asia Cup. Topping the run-scoring chart with 173 runs in four contested matches, he is looking unstoppable. Against Pakistan in the recently concluded Super Four tie, he and Shubman Gill stitched a 105-run stand for the first wicket, setting the base for the others to come and complete the job.

Chasing 172, India won the match by six wickets and seven balls remaining, sitting at the top of the points table with better NRR than Bangladesh.