Abhishek Sharma looked in sensational form in India's seven-wicket win in their first T20I of the five-match series against England at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.  His aggressive 79-run knock comprising five fours and eight maximums was one of the primary reasons for India to chase down the modest 133-run target in no time.

A whole lot of former cricketers and commentators have been effusive in praise for the left-handed top-order batter. In a discussion post the completion of the match, Abhishek acknowledged Indian cricketing great, Yuvraj Singh, as well as Brian Lara and Daniel Vettori's inputs and motivation for his enhanced confidence and performances. 

“I believe I'm very lucky in this. I was working with Yuvi paaji [Yuvraj Singh] at first. Going forward, I had Brian Lara, who really helped me at SRH. Moving forward, Daniel Vettori was pretty simple, he just wanted everyone to express themselves, and I think that gave me the freedom to play my shots.

So obviously, with Yuvraj Singh, Brian Lara, and even Gauti bhai right now, they just want me to showcase my talent the way I play and to back myself," stated Abhishek during the post-match press conference, as quoted by Hindustan Times. The dynamic southpaw also credited the think tank including Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir for letting him back his own expertise.

"I wanted to express myself, special mention to captain and coach, the freedom they have given us as youngsters is tremendous. When I came for the first time in the India team, my plan was simple, play like I played in IPL. But never seen an environement like this, express yourself, hit your shots, even from the first ball," shared Abhishek at the end of the game.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)