Former Indian off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin Has given a sharp reaction to the controversial ‘slogger’ tag of Mohammad Aamir Abhishek SharmaStarted a spirited defense of the young opening batsman following him Match winning half century against Zimbabwe in T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match In Chennai.
Speaking on his popular YouTube channel ‘Aish Ki Baat’, Ashwin rejected the former Pakistan fast bowler’s assessment and made the surprising claim that Abhishek has a better bat swing than his great mentor Yuvraj Singh.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s sharp reaction to Mohammad Aamir
The controversy began during the group stage of the tournament when Abhishek scored three consecutive ducks against the United States, Pakistan and the Netherlands. Amidst the thin patches, Aamir termed the left-handed opening batsman as a “slugger” And questioned his defensive technique, saying that a quality bowling attack would expose his limitations at the international level.
However, when Abhishek silenced his critics by scoring a blistering 55 off just 30 balls against Zimbabwe – which included four fours and four sixes – Ashwin took to his YouTube channel to set the record straight.
“A video of Mohammad Amir calling Abhishek Sharma a slugger is going viral. I just want to make one thing clear: You can say anything about his game, but he is not a slugger. He has one of the most spectacular bat swings in the game today.” Ashwin declared.
The former India spinner, who is set to retire from international cricket in December 2024, took Abhishek a step further by comparing his technique to that of his illustrious mentor.
“We all know Yuvraj Singh is his guru. He probably even has a better bat swing than him. You can’t get a better bat swing than him. Whenever Abhishek hits the ball, it goes very far. That’s why people might mistake him for a slugger. The one thing Abhishek is guilty of is showing intent on every ball.” Ashwin added.
Abhishek endured a nightmare start to his T20 World Cup campaign, registering ducks against the United States, Pakistan and the Netherlands – this was due to a stomach infection that led to hospitalization and a significant weight loss. He missed the Namibia match entirely, before scoring only 15 runs from 12 balls in India’s heavy defeat to South Africa.
However, on 26 February against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Abhishek finally played the innings that India was waiting for. Opening with Sanju Samson, he brought up his half-century in just 26 balls, setting the stage for India’s mammoth score of 256/4. His innings along with the final overs from Tilak Verma and Hardik Pandya proved decisive as India secured a crucial 72-run win to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Aamir’s clarification on his lewd remarks towards Abhishek
Following the backlash, Aamir had earlier clarified his comments, saying that his comments were technical comments rather than personal criticism. Speaking after India’s loss to South Africa, the left-arm pacer emphasized that he considers Abhishek as one of the finest young talents in the game.
“I was talking about him from a bowler’s perspective. I was talking about his technique. People were offended because I used the word slugger.” Aamir told a Pakistani TV channel. “What I meant by that is that his technique is such that a good team, a group of good bowlers, can trap him. Look at the 14 runs he scored, all from one side. The balls he hit were bad balls. But, when Rabada started bowling well, he couldn’t figure it out.”
Aamir also sent a public message to the young Indian batsman, advising him to incorporate patience into his naturally aggressive game. “As a senior player, if my message reaches him, I would tell him: Your technique gets exposed in international cricket. If you can show some patience and play the ball on its merits, it will be better. He has the skills, but it depends on him how well he uses them.”
Ashwin’s technical advice to Abhishek
Apart from defending Abhishek, Ashwin offered constructive technical advice, and urged the young batsman to prioritize timing rather than brute force. “Abhishek doesn’t need to put power on his shots. If someone is talking to him, just tell him about the importance of timing the ball right.” Experienced spinner gave advice.
This emphasis on timing is in line with Ashwin’s broader assessment that Abhishek’s natural gifts – particularly his bat swing – are world-class. The former off-spinner had earlier identified Abhishek as one of the two “puzzles” that opposition teams need to solve to beat India in the T20 World Cup with the mystery spinner. Varun Chakraborty.
