'A prisoner of his own reputation': Abhishek Sharma's form under fire after another failure

NEW DELHI: India opener Abhishek Sharma 's recent form has come under scrutiny following another disappointing performance in the first T20I against South Africa in Durban. Former cricketer Aakash Chopra has voiced concerns over Sharma's ultra-aggressive approach, suggesting it might be contributing to his recent struggles at the international level.

Abhishek managed just seven runs off eight balls as India set a 203-run target for South Africa after being asked to bat first. India eventually won the game comfortably, bowling South Africa out for 141 to register a 61-run victory and take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

However, Chopra noted the stark contrast between Abhishek’s performance and that of his opening partner Sanju Samson , who scored a blistering 107 off 50 balls.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "It's a tale of two openers. There is Sanju (Samson), whose stars are shining bright, on one side. On the other side is Abhishek Sharma, whose stars have fallen. When he struck a century against Zimbabwe, he was that shining new bright star."

Abhishek Sharma burst onto the scene with a sensational 100 off 47 balls in only his second T20I against Zimbabwe. However, his form has dipped since, with his highest score in seven other T20I innings being just 16.

Criticizing the shot selection that led to Sharma's dismissal against Gerald Coetzee , Chopra said, "The shot he played in this match as well against Gerald Coetzee, it seems like he is a prisoner of his own reputation, that he would play like this only and is not going to wait."

Chopra warned that continued underperformance could put his spot in the team at risk.

"It's been one more failure. A time will come when it will be a problem. Questions will be asked about how long you will stick with him. Again, he will get three more games, but one by one the sand is being seen slipping from his hand," Chopra remarked.

With three more games in the series, the pressure will be on the 24-year-old to deliver and justify his selection in the squad.