Ravichandran Ashwin hits back at Amir over ‘slogger’ remark on Abhishek

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has dismissed former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir’s claim that Abhishek Sharma is “just a slogger,” backing the young opener after his match-winning half-century against Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup Super Eight stage.

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Amir had labelled Abhishek a slogger following his hat-trick of ducks in the group stage, suggesting the youngster lacked a defensive game. However, Abhishek responded in style, smashing 55 off just 30 balls to power India to a 72-run win over Zimbabwe.

Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’, Ashwin strongly disagreed with Amir’s assessment.

“You can say anything about his game, but he is not a slogger. He has one of the most enviable bat swings in the game today. We all know Yuvraj Singh is his mentor,” Ashwin said.

“He has probably got a better bat swing than him as well. Whenever Abhishek strikes the ball, it travels a long way. People may mistake him for a slogger because of his power. The only thing he has been guilty of is showing intent on every ball.”

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar also praised Abhishek for silencing critics with a composed and calculated innings.

After recovering from a stomach bug, Abhishek had struggled for rhythm, registering three consecutive ducks. But against Zimbabwe, he broke the lean patch with a fluent half-century that blended aggression with restraint.

“We know how good Abhishek Sharma is as a batter. He silenced his doubters with this knock,” Gavaskar told JioStar.

“He took extra time at the start. There was a method to his batting. He respected the off-spinner, avoided unnecessary risks and played calmly.”

Gavaskar even admitted surprise at seeing a defensive stroke from the naturally aggressive opener.

“In this game, he actually played a defensive shot. He defended the ball. I was surprised to see that because we don’t usually see Abhishek do that,” he added.

With his timely knock, Abhishek not only answered his critics but also reaffirmed his importance at the top of India’s order ahead of the crucial Super Eight clash.