Speaking on his popular YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’, Ashwin dismissed the assessment of the former Pakistan pacer and made the stunning claim that Abhishek possesses a better bat-swing than his legendary mentor Yuvraj Singh.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s fiery response to Mohammad Amir
The controversy started during the group stage of the tournament when Abhishek registered three consecutive ducks against USA, Pakistan and Netherlands. Amid the meager place, Amir labeled the left-handed opener as a ‘slogger’ and questioned his defensive technique, stating that quality bowling attacks would expose his limitations at international level.
However, after Abhishek silenced his critics with a blistering 55 off just 30 balls against Zimbabwe – with four boundaries and four sixes – Ashwin took to his YouTube channel to set the record straight.
“There is a video of Mohammad Amir doing the rounds where he called Abhishek Sharma a slogger. I want to make one thing clear, you can say anything about his game, but he is not a slogger. He has one of the most enviable bat swings in the game today,” Ashwin stated.
The former Indian spinner, who retired from international cricket in December 2024, went a step further by comparing Abhishek’s technique with that of his illustrious mentor.
“We all know that Yuvraj Singh is his mentor. He probably has a better bat-swing than him too. You can’t get a better bat-swing than that. When Abhishek hits the ball, it goes a long way. So people may mistake him as a slogger. The only thing Abhishek has been guilty of is showing intent with every ball,” Ashwin added.
Abhishek endured a nightmarish start to his T20 World Cup campaign, registering ducks against the US, Pakistan and the Netherlands – a run exacerbated by a stomach infection that required hospitalization and caused significant weight loss. He missed the match against Namibia completely before managing just 15 off 12 balls in India’s heavy defeat to South Africa.
However, against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on February 26, Abhishek finally delivered the blow India had been waiting for. Starting alongside Sanju Samson, he reached fifty in just 26 balls, providing the platform for India’s mammoth 256/4. His innings, combined with a late blitz from Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya, proved decisive as India secured a crucial 72-run win to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Amir’s clarification regarding his slogger comment for Abhishek
Following the backlash, Amir had previously clarified his comments and explained that his comments were technical observations and not personal criticism. Speaking after India’s defeat to South Africa, the left-arm pacer stressed that he considers Abhishek to be one of the best young talents in the game.
“I was talking about him from a bowler’s perspective. I was talking about his technique. People felt guilty because I used the word slogger,” Amir told a Pakistani TV channel. “By that I meant that his technique is such that a good team, a bunch of good bowlers, can trap him. Look at the 14 runs he scored, he scored them all on one side. The balls he hit were bad balls. But when Rabada started bowling well, he couldn’t figure it out.”
Amir also sent a public message to the young Indian batsman, advising him to be patient with his naturally aggressive game. “As a senior player, if my message goes to him, I will tell him, your technique will be exposed in international cricket. If you can show some patience and play the ball on its merits, then it will be better. He has the skills but it depends on him how well he will use them.”
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Ashwin’s technical advice to Abhishek
Besides defending Abhishek, Ashwin provided constructive technical advice, urging the young batsman to prioritize timing over brute force. “Abishek doesn’t need to power his shots. If someone talks to him, just tell him how important it is to time the ball right,” advised the experienced spinner.
This emphasis on timing is in line with Ashwin’s broader assessment that Abhishek’s natural gifts – especially his bat swing – are world-class. The former off-spinner has previously identified Abhishek as one of the two ‘puzzles’ that opposition teams will have to solve to beat India in the T20 World Cup, besides the mystery spinner Varun Chakraborty.
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