Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has come to the defense of explosive batsman Abhishek Sharma after ex-Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir criticized him as a “slogger.” Harbhajan emphasized that Abhishek possesses a complete range of shots, which not every batsman has, and noted that he consistently strikes the ball effectively while at the crease.
“Abhishek Sharma is a talented player, and he’s capable of winning matches on his own multiple times. From my experience in cricket, I can confidently say that he’s a genuine batsman with a full array of shots; many players lack that versatility. A slogger is someone who merely swings at the ball and hopes for the best. Abhishek, on the other hand, attacks from the very first ball and continues to score as long as he’s batting,” Harbhajan explained.
He further remarked, “People can say what they want, but I believe they haven’t faced a player like Abhishek, so their comments about him being a slogger are misguided.” Harbhajan encouraged Abhishek to display his explosive batting skills and expressed optimism that Team India could post a formidable score with the left-handed batsman in form.
“If I were to define a slogger, it might upset a lot of people, so I’ll refrain from doing that. We don’t need to respond to every provocation. I believe Abhishek should show everyone what he’s capable of. I have high hopes for him, and if he stays at the crease, Team India will set an impressive total,” he added.
The highly anticipated T20 World Cup 2026 match between India and Pakistan is set to take place on February 15 at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 includes: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rinku Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, and Tilak Varma.
(With ANI Inputs)