‘Trust me’: Abhishek Sharma's strong message for Shubman Gill critics

Abhishek Sharma has voiced his support for Shubman Gill, his childhood friend, expressing confidence that Gill will soon overcome his current lean patch in T20Is. Sharma believes Gill is poised to deliver match-winning performances, including at the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Gill's position in India's T20I XI has been questioned, particularly after Sanju Samson, who is in good form, was left out of the team. Gill, the team's vice-captain, has struggled to maintain consistency, scoring 291 runs in 15 innings with a strike rate of 137.3, including only four sixes. His difficulties continued in the third T20I against South Africa, where he scored 28 runs off 28 balls during a chase of a modest 118-run target.

That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. Gill's slow innings did not significantly impact the game's outcome, as Abhishek Sharma provided early momentum with a rapid 35 runs off 18 balls at the top of the order. When questioned about the lack of runs from Gill and captain Suryakumar Yadav in the ongoing five-match series (which India leads 2-1), Sharma firmly defended them. "Trust me," Sharma said, "these two guys are going to win matches in the World Cup and in this series as well."

Sharma was particularly protective of Gill, his close friend for over a decade. "Because I've been playing with them for so long, especially with Shubman, I know which match he can win, and in what conditions, irrespective of the team," he stated. He added, "I have a lot of faith in him, and I hope everyone will see him very soon and everyone will have faith in him."

Following Abhishek’s dismissal with the team at 60, India took over 10 overs to complete the chase, as both Gill and Suryakumar struggled to accelerate the scoring. Abhishek explained that after the explosive start, the plan was simple. "There was a bit of help for the fast bowlers, and as I was batting, I knew that if I gave a good start, the match could get over in the Powerplay, and that's what happened... that was the plan for the rest of the batters, that they would just knock out or finish the match."

Abhishek also highlighted the challenging conditions during December evenings. He noted, "As a batter, you have to keep in mind that the ball is swinging a bit or it's seaming a bit, so I tried to play a few shots which is suitable for those wickets and pitches, so that's the plan always."