New Delhi: An Indian Legend Sunil Gavaskar Believe that the weight of expectations has passed Abhishek SharmaThe shocking slump in the T20 World Cup has urged the young opener to resist the temptation of instant big shots and instead focus on patiently building up his innings.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Abhishek came into the tournament as the world’s number one T20I batsman and one of India’s most feared six-batsmen, but his campaign was derailed by three consecutive matches against the United States, Pakistan and Netherlands.
“Abhishek Sharma is a lovely guy but the expectations seem to be weighing on him,” Gavaskar told Star Sports. “If he starts well against the United States, it will be different. Now, the pressure of being a No. 6 batsman and a top-order batsman is setting in. “According to Gavaskar, the 25-year-old’s attacking instincts worked against him early in the game. “With his range, he needs to take time in the middle. He can’t try to hit a boundary or a six on the first ball of the first innings. If a big ball comes, that’s fine. But he shouldn’t force himself to hit a big ball over the line.”Instead, the former captain stressed the importance of starting small. “Just one hit will be fine. Even four dots won’t matter. He can make up for it later. He needs to play smart in the beginning. Take one or two more to get used to it and then play into his natural game.“First, hit the target. Every batsman wants to get the first run. Once he gets it, everything will fall into place,” he added.While Abhishek struggled, Gavaskar was full of praise for all-rounder Shivam Dube, whose explosive 66 helped India beat Netherlands by 17 runs. “Shivam Dube is difficult to bowl because of the wide range of his delivery. If he struggles to develop his inside-out delivery at extra cover, he will be a very scary batsman,” he said.Gavaskar also highlighted the importance of spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who took three wickets in 14 matches. “When you take wickets, you also take away runs. Obviously, Varun will be your key bowler. India will depend a lot on his four overs,” he pointed out.
