Aakash Chopra calls consistent runs from Abhishek a misconception

Former India batter Aakash Chopra has said expecting Abhishek Sharma to score runs consistently is a misconception given the aggressive brand of cricket the left-hander plays. Chopra spoke on JioStar's Haier Cricket Live after Abhishek managed only 6 runs from 4 balls in the rain-shortened fifth T20I against West Indies in Bengaluru. The match was reduced to nine overs per side and eventually washed out with India at 118 for 5.

Chopra said players who bat at a strike rate near 200 will inevitably suffer soft dismissals and patchy series. He pointed to Abhishek's recent series against Afghanistan, where the opener scored a century and seventy, as the kind of output that balances the lean patches. The reality, he argued, is that high-risk cricket produces both match-winning innings and ordinary returns within the same season.

India drew the five-match series 2-2. Abhishek will now prepare for the five T20Is in New Zealand that begin on 22 October.