But the prime format of cricket the need to keep the game simple has been found in the simplest way at least by Abhishek Sharma stick to a handful of shots, rely on the powerplay and get in full guns firing in the other format. That was perfectly reflected in Delhi where the India bowlers recorded a brilliant 108 off 34 balls in the opener of a 3-0 T20I series win over Afghanistan.
Abhishek has always believed in “keep it simple” and that’s just what he displayed here. He produced his century with just 30 deliveries for the first time in T20I history, setting the record for T20I fastest full member’s hundred. More impressively still, it was by no means his fastest century of the career. The duo of Abhishek faced Meghalaya in Syed Mushtaq Ali in 2024 where Abhishek had scored a 100th run in 28 balls for Punjab.
But these statistics do not drive the full picture. There is something about Abhishek’s approach to batting that is so clear for him, before he approaches the crease, that the batters can say that it is what makes him so effective.
He struck 76 off 22 balls in the powerplay in the last T20I against Afghanistan. He didn’t go for a high grade of shots in preference for building an innings with a wide variety of shots and backed for the shots that he could offer.
There lies the simplicity in Abhishek’s batting that makes it interesting. He has previously said that he really doesn’t have that many shots. Not a bad thing, he’s become very confident about the shots he lacks.
One of his top weapons is his pull shot and lofted ball shot over deep midwicket and long-on. Against Azmatullah Omarzai, he looked to power on the ball and slam it down firmly, the shot going straight. He has also been prone to using his pitching movement and taking shots at the legs side on numerous occasions, disrupting the bowlers of Afghanistan.
There was a more clear cut direction against spins. During the powerplay, Abhishek was out against Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman and dished out 54 runs with just 15 deliveries from the three.
The difference was that he was able to keep his head up in the game. Abhishek was better tackling position facing back where the length is controlled by the spinners and instead walked down and attacked the ball before the spinners could take the field.
That minor change in form has impacted upon his numbers and has been beneficial as he has shown that when he was slightly more on the back foot against spin he was a bit less destructive in the opening two T20Is. But in the final match, he adapted, and delivered one of the most attacking power play innings in recent international cricket.
The first thing that comes to mind first is the gut instincted batting of Abhishek. If there’s a chance, he takes it without hesitation. But the aggression behind it is hiding an amazingly detailed knowledge of match-ups, lengths and fields.
Following the match, Abhishek shared that his approach is rooted in his understanding of the prevailing conditions of the match, such as the bowlers he is likely to cross the boundary, and how he wants to play them, particularly the powerplay. His preparation isn’t about being overly complicated in his delivery plan for every given delivery. It’s just about finding the bull’s-eye of his bowlers and scenarios.
This makes it look easy for him, but with a lot of thought of course.
In addition, he went through some challenging times in his mentality! Abhishek, who began the 2026 T20 World Cup with three consecutive blanks, began the series with three straight ducks earlier this year. He also had scores of 15, 10 and 9 during the tournament.
But two of his other innings were fill to play fifties. One was against Zimbabwe in a key Super Eight clash and the other against New Zealand in the final.
The uncanny quick turnaround from any failure has also factored into his game. His ‘meditation-like’ celebration at the end of the century in Delhi was no exception. Abhishek sat down in a padmasana position with his eyes closed and seemed to be meditating, resulting in one of the most memorable shots of the series.
The event was also right in their mission tradition! The madcap T20 cricket can sometimes seem to be a quagmire – big runs, brash strokes and intense pressure. To remove as much complexity as possible is Abhishek’s answer.
He wants to play the role of a dominant player on the powerplay. His objective is to discover bowlers he can charge. He would like to trust his best shots. When things don’t go his way, he wants to go one better than the previous innings rather than over think it.
This partnership has led to Abhishek being one of the most active power play batters in T20 cricket. He has shared a great partnership with both Sanju Samson for India and Travis Head from Sunrisers Hyderabad and has stretched the opening batsman in the first six overs to the thin end of the sword.
Last and final, Abhishek’s latest was no ordinary century. Another good example of why a short-sighted approach to hitting that pays off when people trust their shot and aim their shot right.
He might say he isn’t a big shot but he’s gotten really good at picking the right shot. Players get to shoot more and more balls, and variations in the format, expert Abhishek has chosen to play the other end.
Kept his bat as simple as possible, played to his strengths and on a level he is willing to play. Delhi’s 108 off 34 came three times in this year’s World Cup before the 108 that occurred earlier this year and was a testament to his own improvement.
Abhishek Sharma isn’t like to complicate T20 batting. He shouldn’t even be able to hit it and, quite often, he can’t.
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