Sri Lanka head coach and batting great Sanath Jayasuriya has praised Indian opener Abhishek Sharma’s fearless style, giving credit to India’s management for providing the young man with the confidence to play freely at the top. His words of praise come on the eve of the massive India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 final, in which Abhishek will be in the limelight once again.
Abhishek Sharma’s Dominant Asia Cup Form
Abhishek has been in exalted form in the Super 4 phase, crushing three successive half-centuries 74 against Pakistan, 75 against Bangladesh, and 61 against Sri Lanka. His forceful strokeplay has proved invaluable in providing India with rapid beginnings, setting India up well for their middle order.
“Only he plays his natural game, and the management has asked him to play like that,” Jayasuriya indicated in his post-match exchange after Sri Lanka’s Super Over loss. “Whenever he feels like slowing down slightly, he knows how to do it too. Day by day, he is scoring more runs and playing really good cricket.”
License to Dominate For Abhishek
Jayasuriya, the most destructive opener in the history of cricket, mentioned that the liberty provided by the Indian coaching team has enabled Abhishek to play with utmost confidence. “The positive aspect is that the coaching staff has provided him the liberty to play his natural game. That’s the difference,” he explained while drawing parallels to his own playing style in early years.
Sri Lanka’s Fightback Despite Loss
Though they lost the Super Over, Jayasuriya appreciated his team’s resilience, particularly the 127-run second-wicket stand between Pathum Nissanka (107) and Kusal Perera (58). Sri Lanka equaled India’s score of 202, bringing the match to a nail-biting finish before losing it in the tie-breaker.
“When you’re pursuing 202, you require partnerships like that. Unfortunately, Pathum got out at the wrong time, and that momentum changed,” Jayasuriya stated. He conceded Sri Lanka were sluggish to adjust to conditions in Abu Dhabi during the Super 4 stage but was confident his side could rebound.
Attention Shifts to Hair-Raising Final
With India having secured their spot in the Asia Cup final, everyone will be watching Abhishek Sharma to see if he can deliver another explosive opening against Pakistan’s powerful pace attack. His reliability at the top may make the difference for India as they look to lift the trophy.
