India completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Zimbabwe, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi dominating the headlines after the 15-year-old became the youngest player ever to win the Player of the Series award in men’s international cricket.Sooryavanshi announced himself with a blistering 50 off just 18 balls in the first T20I, followed it up with 20 off nine deliveries in the second match, and capped off the series with a superb 81 off 49 balls in the third and final T20I.However, the success Sooryavanshi enjoyed was in stark contrast to that of his opening partner, Abhishek Sharma. The left-hander endured a disastrous series against Zimbabwe, managing scores of 1, 8 and 2.His struggles extend beyond the Zimbabwe tour. Across India’s recent T20I assignments in the UK against Ireland and England, and the Zimbabwe series, Abhishek managed just one half-century. In his last six T20Is for India, he has registered scores of 10, 16, 3, 1, 8 and 2, highlighting a worrying dip in form.Following the series, Abhishek took to Instagram to express his disappointment.“It hurts when you can’t give back what so many people believe you’re capable of. But this game always rewards those who keep showing up. Happy that the team got the win. Will be back stronger.”
Abhishek Sharma Insta post
With Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise, Abhishek is likely to feel the pressure. Sanju Samson, despite being India’s Player of the Tournament during their T20 World Cup triumph, is still waiting for a place in the playing XI, making competition for opening spots even more intense.India’s next T20I assignment is at the Asian Games in September, followed by a home series against the West Indies in October, giving Abhishek more than two months to address his shortcomings. For now, the only way forward is to put his head down, go back to the drawing board and rediscover the form that made him one of India’s most exciting T20 batters.
