Abhishek Sharma portrays MS Dhoni more than Yuvraj Singh- Dhoni's teammate

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was impressed with young opener Abhishek Sharma’s batting during the Super 4 match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai on Sunday, September 21. Ashwin said that a cover drive from Abhishek reminded him of MS Dhoni’s signature helicopter shot.

The Men in Blue chased down a target of 172 runs to secure a six-wicket victory. Abhishek scored 74 runs off just 39 balls, including six fours and five sixes. The left-handed batter smashed the third fifty of his T20I career and put the team in a comfortable position before he was dismissed in the 13th over.

Abhishek Sharma Hit MS Dhoni-Style Helicopter Cover Drive - Ravichandran Ashwin

Abhishek Sharma reached his fifty in the eighth over with a shot off Saim Ayub. The left-hander moved to the leg side and drove the ball through extra cover. Sharma sliced past two fielders in the deep to reach the milestone. The shot grabbed the attention of Ravichandran Ashwin.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin admired Sharma’s ability to adjust his bat swing and make batting appear effortless and consistently watchable.

“Abhishek Sharma hit an inside-out MS Dhoni-style helicopter cover drive. Everybody will talk about the five sixes that he hit, but I want to talk about this cover drive, because there was finesse in this shot,” Ashwin said.

"Despite only having one bat swing, he can adjust his down swing. If one batter, with one down swing, can make batting look so easy, then why will you not watch that batsman day in and day out," he added.

"Abhishek Sharma’s fifty in pure style 🔥 Absolute carnage & fearless aggression against Pakistan! 🇮🇳💥#INDvPAK | Shubman Gill | Shaheen Afridi | Haris Rauf | pic.twitter.com/QkhRiHtMNc

— Harsh Vardhan (@harshvard100710) September 21, 2025

Abhishek Sharma Is Going to Carry Yuvraj Singh's Legacy Forward - Ravichandran Ashwin

Abhishek has often spoken about the huge role Yuvraj Singh has played in his career. Ravichandran Ashwin stated that this is just the beginning of Abhishek’s journey. He added that Abhishek can carry forward Yuvraj’s legacy in white-ball cricket.

“I want to tell you that this is not the arrival of Abhishek Sharma, this is just the beginning. He has just started, and he has a long future ahead. He is going to blow the cricketing world apart. Take that in writing," Ashwin continued.

"He has so much ability, just like how Yuvraj Singh became India’s marquee white-ball cricketer. the best white-ball batter in limited overs cricket for India, he can reach that level easily. I think he is going to carry Yuvraj’s legacy forward, he is a phenomenal talent,” he added.

Abhishek Sharma Named Player of the Match vs Pakistan

Abhishek Sharma earned the Player of the Match award for his explosive 74-run innings against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025. Notably, the southpaw scored quickfire 30s in all three group-stage matches.

Sharma is the leading run-getter in the tournament. He has scored 173 runs from four innings at an average of 43.25 and a strike rate of 208.43, including a half-century.

The 25-year-old has played 21 matches, scoring 708 runs in 20 innings at an average of 35.40 and a strike rate of 197.21, with two hundreds and three fifties. He is the only cricketer to score at a strike rate above 200 among batters with over 1,000 runs since 2024.

The Punjab batter is set to return to action on Wednesday, September 24, when India face Bangladesh in their second Super 4s match in Dubai. India will be hoping to seal a final berth with victory in the next match.

Also read: Suryakumar Yadav gives burn marks to Pakistan, bans journalists from calling IND vs PAK a RIVALRY