Gavaskar brushed aside worries over India’s batting before Asia Cup final, saying the team has enough firepower even if Abhishek doesn’t deliver a big score. Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar brushed aside concerns of the law of averages catching up with Abhishek Sharma, backing the in-form left-hander to continue his dominant run in the Asia Cup final. The swashbuckling opener has hit a hat-trick of half-centuries in the last three matches and is sitting at the top of the run charts, becoming the only player in T20 Asia Cup history to cross the 300-run mark.
Abhishek’s batting has clearly stood out in the ongoing tournament, with the left-hander tearing into opposition attacks almost effortlessly. While most Indian batters have struggled for rhythm, he has been dominating the powerplay overs, striking boundaries at will and giving India the kind of explosive starts that have tilted games in their favour.
Gavaskar played down concerns over India’s batting ahead of the Asia Cup final, stressing that the side still has plenty of firepower in reserve even if Abhishek failed to score big. He backed Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill to step up, insisting big runs could come from any of them.
“There are several key players who can make a difference. Suryakumar Yadav is due for runs, as are Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, and Hardik Pandya. Shubman Gill has batted well but hasn’t yet delivered the big scores we’ve come to expect from him recently. There’s plenty of batting firepower left, so there’s no need to be overly concerned,” Gavaskar said on India Today.
The former batting great also expressed confidence that Abhishek won’t waste the chance in the final, backing him to push for a century after narrowly missing out on the milestone a couple of times earlier in the Asia Cup.
“Abhishek Sharma, in particular, won’t let opportunities slip by. He’s been in good form with three half-centuries and, despite an unfortunate run-out that cost him a potential century, he’s likely to aim for another big innings—possibly even a three-figure score,” said Gavaskar.
Meanwhile, the Men in Blue had some fitness concerns ahead if the final with Hardik Pandya’s hamstring scare against Sri Lanka forced him off after a single over, while Abhishek too cramped up under the punishing Gulf heat, but it seems like he is fine.
“Hardik will be assessed tomorrow morning. Both him and Abhishek suffered cramps. But Abhishek is fine,” Morkel reassured on Friday night.
