NEW DELHI: India wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma is in awe of T20I opener Abhishek Sharma, praising his remarkable clarity about his role in the team - to attack from the very first ball. Jitesh said that playing such fearless cricket requires immense courage and self-belief.

Speaking exclusively to Sports Yaari, Jitesh shared what makes Abhishek such a rare breed in modern cricket.

"I think as a player, he has incredible clarity," Jitesh said. "When you know exactly what you want to do in life, what brand of cricket you want to play till the day you retire - that's where such boldness and fearlessness come from. The kind of clarity Abhishek has is tremendous. To have that kind of mindset, you need guts - real courage - to take those decisions on the field. Anyone can play attacking shots, but to play them with that confidence and consistency takes pride and strength."

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And that attitude shows. Whether it was in the Asia Cup or the T20Is, Abhishek Sharma went after world-class bowlers without hesitation. "He's finishing the careers of premium bowlers," Jitesh laughed. "In the first match, he hits a four off the best pacer; next match, he hits a six first ball. That's just Abhishek."

Abhishek, along with his opening partner Shubman Gill, was involved in a heated exchange with Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf during the Asia Cup clash. But Jitesh believes that true statements in cricket are made with the bat, not the mouth - though he admits Abhishek is someone who can respond both with words and with his bat.

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"That makes a lot of sense - when you're letting your bat do the talking, that's the biggest answer," he said. "If you score just 2 runs and then start arguing or abusing, it doesn't make any sense. But if you go out there and score 60 or 70 runs against a premium bowler, that makes a real statement. Abhishek is different - he's so confident that even if someone abuses him, he'll answer by hitting a six."

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The conversation soon turned to the high-voltage India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup - a match where Abhishek's intent from the very first ball caught everyone's attention. But for Jitesh, the mindset behind that fearless intent wasn't about rivalry or emotion - it was about discipline.

"When you go for a match, the opposition doesn't matter," Jitesh explained. "I'm speaking as a player, not as a fan. My job is to focus on the ball - not who's bowling it, what jersey they're wearing, or which country they're from. You only get praise when you score runs, and you can only score runs when you're watching the ball, not the player."

He added that this mental approach was something the entire Indian dressing room had embraced during the Asia Cup. "The coach said one thing very clearly: don't play with emotions. Control your emotions. Focus on your game and your basics. If you do that, the result will take care of itself - and that will be the answer for the rest of the world."