Live Update: ‘He took 5-6 deliveries, which is a lot for him’ – Cheteshwar Pujara lauds Abhishek Sharma after Indore heroics Cheteshwar Pujara highlighted how Abhishek Sharma displayed discipline against Roston Chase before unleashing his explosive batting in India’s 14-run victory.
Abhishek Sharma (Source: BCCI) Abhishek Sharma produced a match-winning performance in the third T20I against West Indies at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on October 11, 2026. The left-handed batsman managed 69 runs off just 30 deliveries, an innings that included five sixes and six fours. His explosive knock helped India reach 223, which proved crucial as West Indies scored 209 for 7 in reply, giving India a 14-run win and a 2-1 series advantage in the five-match competition.
Cheteshwar Pujara gave an insight into Sharma’s proach during the innings and noted how the batsman managed his aggression intelligently. The left-hander reached his half-century in just 18 pearances, showcasing his natural attacking instincts. However, Pujara noted that Sharma showed unusual restraint at the start of his batting, especially against West Indies’ Roston Chase, who had handled the ball effectively in the previous game.
“He endured 5-6 births, which is a lot for him. He is an explosive batsman who doesn’t want to show respect to the bowlers. But he himself said in the interview that because Roston Chase played very well against him, he wanted to watch how he played, pay attention to the field and what kind of help he wanted to get.
And then he let go of his arms. He knew how Chase bowled and where his scoring chances were,” Pujara said. How Sharma balanced restraint and aggression Sharma’s measured proach against Chase in the first overs reflected a calculated strategy.
Instead of attacking straight away, Sharma assessed Chase’s bowling pattern and the pitch conditions before deciding to hit aggressively. Having seen the opportunities, he citalized decisively, hitting two sixes and a four after Chase’s second over to turn the momentum in India’s favour. Also Read: Sunil Gavaskar questions BCCI’s decision to schedule India A matches alongside Ranji Trophy. Sharma’s partnership with Ishan Kishan brought 108 runs off 40 balls, giving India a strong foundation.
The batter’s ability to combine caution with aggression proved crucial in building the total that ultimately proved too much for West Indies. The Punjab cricketer also achieved a milestone by becoming the fastest batsman to score 2000 T20I runs per ball hit, reaching the mark in 1024 deliveries and surpassing Suryakumar Yadav’s previous record of 1164 balls.
