Indian cricketer Abhishek Sharma criticized IndiGo Airlines on Monday, January 13, for alleged misconduct by a staff member at Delhi Airport. The 24-year-old all-rounder expressed his frustration on social media, claiming that mismanagement caused him to miss his flight, ruining his only holiday before joining the Indian team for the T20I series against England.
Abhishek alleged that counter manager Ms. Sushmita Mittal unnecessarily redirected him between counters, leading to delays. In a strongly worded Instagram story, he stated, “I had the worst experience with IndiGo at Delhi airport. The behaviour of staff, especially counter manager Ms. Sushmita Mittal, was absolutely unacceptable. I arrived on time at the correct counter, but they redirected me unnecessarily to another counter, only to tell me later that check-in was closed. This caused me to miss my flight.”
Cricketer’s Holiday Plans Disrupted by Indigo
Abhishek, who had recently represented Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, likely intended to spend his brief holiday with family and friends before joining the national squad in Kolkata for the much-anticipated five-match T20I series against England, starting January 22.
Despite his efforts to resolve the situation, Abhishek revealed that IndiGo staff offered no further assistance. “This is by far the worst airline experience and worst staff management I’ve ever had,” he added.
A Promising Talent Under the Spotlight
Abhishek Sharma’s selection in India’s T20I squad for the England series comes on the back of a stellar performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The left-handed batsman scored 467 runs in eight matches, including a century and three fifties.
Having made a sensational start to his T20I career with a century against Zimbabwe in July 2024, Abhishek is under scrutiny after inconsistent performances during India’s tour of South Africa in November. Pundits have defended his aggressive playing style, urging patience as he develops into a reliable middle-order batter.
The Indian squad, led by Suryakumar Yadav and coached by Gautam Gambhir, will begin preparations in Kolkata ahead of the January 22 opener.
