Varun Aaron, a former India fast bowler, has coached opener Abhishek Sharma to improve one part of his batting style against spin bowling ahead of India’s third T20I against the West Indies on October 11, 2026, at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. The series is tied at 1-1, with the West Indies winning the second T20I in Ranchi after chasing 250 runs.
Abhishek Sharma scored 21 runs in the first T20I and 20 runs in the second T20I of this series, making the match in Indore an important opportunity for him to contribute to India’s quest for the series lead. Aaron saw Abhishek’s inclination to plant his front foot as something that might be improved.
Varun Aaron recommended a specific technical change for Abhishek Sharma.
Aaron’s guidance focused on the Indian opener’s mobility against spin bowling. The former India pacer noticed Abhishek Sharma rarely uses the back of the crease to open up scoring opportunities, and he recognised this as an obvious area for improvement in the attacking left-hander’s strokeplay at the top level.
The theory is that by stepping back and across, Abhishek Sharma could get more time against spin and open up new scoring opportunities, complimenting his existing strength of driving hard from the front foot. With the series on the line in Indore, making such a change might be crucial if West Indies deploy their spinners aggressively in the final.
What’s at risk for Abhishek Sharma in the third T20I?
Meanwhile, Abhishek is just 33 runs away from becoming the sixth Indian hitter to reach 2,000 T20I runs. In 64 T20I matches, he has scored 1,967 runs at an average of 32.24 and a strike rate of 194.94, including three centuries and thirteen fifties.
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A successful performance by Abhishek in Indore would not only help India win the five-match series 2-1, but it would also allow him to achieve a huge personal milestone in T20I cricket, making the match even more important for the Punjab left-hander.
