Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin praised Abhishek Sharma’s elegant helicopter shot through the off side during India’s Super 4 Asia Cup 2025 clash against Pakistan. The Men in Blue clinched a six-wicket victory, chasing down 172 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, September 21.
Sharma starred in the run chase, scoring a brilliant 74 off 39 balls, hitting six fours and five sixes to register the third fifty of his T20I career. He anchored India’s innings before getting out in the 13th over. To reach his fifty, the left-hander played a flawless shot through the off side off Abrar Ahmed, perfectly piercing the deep fielders.
Bowling around the wicket, Ahmed aimed at Sharma, but the batter quickly adjusted his stance and carved the ball with precision. Ashwin noted that the shot reminded him of MS Dhoni, who often played similar strokes using his powerful bottom hand during his playing days.
“Abhishek Sharma hit an inside-out MS Dhoni-style helicopter cover drive. Everybody will talk about the five sixes that he hit, but I want to talk about this cover drive, because there was finesse in this shot. Despite only having one bat swing, he is able to adjust his down swing.”
”If one batter, with one down swing, is able to make batting look so easy, then why will you not watch that batsman day in and day out,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“Abhishek Sharma Can Easily Emulate Yuvraj Singh”- R Ashwin
Abhishek Sharma has often credited Yuvraj Singh for shaping his growth and career. The former star mentored him, and their collaboration has yielded positive results. R Ashwin remarked that Sharma has the talent to reach Yuvraj Singh’s level in white-ball cricket.
“I want to tell you that this is not the arrival of Abhishek Sharma, this is just the beginning. He has just started, and he has a long future ahead. He is going to blow the cricketing world apart. Take that in writing.”
“He has so much ability, just like how Yuvraj Singh became India’s marquee white-ball cricketer. the best white-ball batter in limited overs cricket for India, he, can reach that level easily. I think he is going to carry Yuvraj’s legacy forward, he is a phenomenal talent,” Ashwin said.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
