Key Points
Abhishek Sharma scored record-breaking 135 runs in T20I
Akhtar calls him a rising star for India
Young cricketer impresses with all-round performance
Emerging talent in Indian cricket
Abishek's T20I career started with a duck against Zimbabwe, but since then, he has never looked back and exhibited blistering form in the format. Abhishek entered the T20I fold after Rahul Dravid's stint as head coach concluded, heralding a new era in Indian cricket.
Gautam Gambhir took the helm and infused young blood in the T20Is, including Abhishek. In his recent stint with the Indian team, Abhishek set the stage on fire by clouding the sky with his fireworks. Akhtar, who met Abhishek in Dubai, lavished praise on the young southpaw and classified him as a "rising star" for India.
"I am glad that I wasn't born in this era because of people like this young lad. He recently got a hundred. I watched your inning. It was fantastic and amazing. I gave him a couple of advice, don't leave your strength. Great life ahead for this young, talented guy. I wish him all the best. Abhishek, go ahead and break all records. He is a rising star for India," Akhtar said in a video he posted on his X account.
Abhishek produced the best innings of his fledging international career when he smashed a quickfire 135 in the fifth and final match of the series in Mumbai.
His record-shattering knock came from just 54 deliveries and was the highest individual innings made by an Indian men's player in the shortest format.
The 24-year-old ended the five T20Is as the leading run-getter, garnering 279 runs at an average of 55.80 and a strike rate of 219.68, with a century and a fifty each.
Abhishek is only the second player from Test-playing nations to score a century and take multiple wickets in a T20I match, scoring 135 and taking two wickets for three runs in the first over of the fifth T20I.
