Abhishek Sharma standing on ticking time-bomb reveals India veteran

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra feels that the time is running out for the young opener Abhishek Sharma after another failure during the first T20I against South Africa at Kingsmead, Durban.

Chopra compared the contrasting knocks of two India openers - Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. While Abhishek was dismissed for a low score, Samson smashed his second T20I hundred in successive matches.

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Aakash Chopra compares Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma

While speaking in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra spoke about the contrasting innings of both the Indian openers during the first T20I. He claimed that the stars are shining bright for Sanju Samson but this is not the case with Abhishek Sharma.

He mentioned Abhishek's magnificent hundred against Zimbabwe which he scored in just his second T20I. According to him, the young opener is playing just one way and that is the reason for his low-key returns.

"It's a tale of two openers. There is Sanju (Samson), whose stars are shining bright, on one side. On the other side is Abhishek Sharma, whose stars have fallen. When he had struck a century against Zimbabwe, he was that shining new bright star," Chopra recalled.

"However, after that, he has fallen drastically. The shot he played in this match as well against Gerald Coetzee, it seems like he is a prisoner of his own reputation, that he would play like this only and is not going to wait," he added.

Abhishek scored 7 off 8 balls during his knock. He tried with an aggressive intent during his innings but was unsuccessful in doing so and was dismissed by the fast bowler Gerald Coetzee.

Further speaking in the same video, Aakash Chopra mentioned that Abhishek Sharma's consistent low-key returns will be a problem if he does not score a big knock soon.

"It's been one more failure. A time will come when it will be a problem. Questions will be asked about how long will you stick with him. Again, he will get three more games, but one by one the sand is being seen slipping from his hand," he reckoned.

Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a duck in his maiden T20I against Zimbabwe but scored a magnificent hundred in the second match. Despite scoring a hundred, the left-hander has scored just 166 runs in 9 T20Is. He has an average of 20.75 and a strike rate of 164.35.

Meanwhile, India had an excellent match as they thrashed South Africa by 61 runs. Sanju Samson scored an outstanding innings of 107 off just 50 balls as India scored 202-8 in 20 overs.

In reply, South Africa were never ahead in the game and were bundled out for just 141 runs. Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi picked up three wickets each.

The second T20I of the series will be played in Gqeberha on November 10. The third and fourth T20I of the series will be played on November 13 and 15 at Centurion and Johannesburg respectively.