I'm following Rohit Sharma's footsteps: Abhishek Sharma

New Delhi: Swashbuckling India opener Abhishek Sharma said he has been following the aggressive template set by former skipper Rohit Sharma in T20I powerplays after being encouraged to do so by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Having made his T20I debut in July 2024, Abhishek’s minute-a-mile batting approach has helped him take the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings for batters in that format.

In 34 matches so far, he has cracked two tons and seven fifties to score 1199 runs at a strike rate of 190.92.

"Rohit bhai has done a lot for the country. There is always pressure because of the starts he used to give in the powerplay,” Abhishek told JioHotstar when asked about Rohit’s influence on him.

“When I came into the team, the coach and captain wanted the same from me. I felt it suited my style too because I love to attack from the first few balls. I have been following in Rohit bhai's footsteps and I am really happy to play in this manner and do well for India,” he added.

Abhishek said while there is room for improvement in his game, he has complete role clarity.

"I wouldn't say I am fully matured yet, because there is always room to improve. But I feel my job is to play aggressive cricket in the first six overs.

"I have been practicing a lot for that. I know if I give a good start or show good intent early, the team can follow that momentum (and) that is what I always think about," he said.

With the T20 World Cup a fortnight away, Abhishek said he has been practicing against specific kind of bowlers he would come across in the competition.

"If I want to play aggressive cricket and show intent, I have to practice a certain way. That is what I always do before matches. When I get a week or 10 days, I keep in mind the bowlers I will face in the next series or matches. It all comes down to how I execute those plans.

“For the upcoming T20 World Cup, I have been practicing for that too. I know we will play all over India in different conditions against different teams, so preparation is key,” he added.

The 25-year-old said he tries to replicate match situations at nets to the extent that he prefers facing bowlers with similar style that he would face from the opposition camp.

“I try to get similar bowlers to bowl at me in the nets. For every bowler in the other team, I find someone similar to practice against,” he said.

“I ask them to bowl out-swingers, in-swingers, and use the new ball. I also ask them to take certain fielders out for me." In his bid to remain ahead of the competition, the left-hander has also worked on the scenarios of bowlers taking pace off the ball against him.

“I know (that) especially going into the World Cup and any match, they won't give me a lot of pace. I realised that in the last few matches, so I have been working on it,” he said.

Abhishek said working on his back lift also helped him generate smooth flow of the bat.

"I have always had a high grip holding position on the bat. The only thing I worked on was my back lift. I used to keep it a bit low, but now I keep it above my waist so I can get a smooth flow,” he said.

"When it was low, I was getting late on some balls so I practiced that. But the back lift and the grip are both natural for me,” Abhishek added.