Ravichandran Ashwin defended Abhishek Sharma against Mohammad Amir’s ‘slogger’ remark, stating the India batter has one of the best bat swings in modern cricket.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has rejected Mohammad Amir’s criticism of Abhishek Sharma during T20 World Cup 2026. Amir had labelled the 25-year-old opener a slogger during the group stage, claiming he lacked a defensive option. The remark drew strong reactions online.
Abhishek struggled early in the tournament with three ducks and then scored 15 against South Africa in the Super 8. He answered critics against Zimbabwe, smashing 55 from 30 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes.
Ashwin said Abhishek’s technique does not fit the slogger tag. He highlighted the left-hander’s clean bat swing and striking ability. Ashwin even compared Abhishek’s swing favourably to mentor Yuvraj Singh.
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“There is a video of Mohammad Amir doing the rounds, where he called Abhishek Sharma a slogger. I just want to make one thing clear: you can say anything about his game, but he is not a slogger. He has one of the most enviable bat swings in the game today. We all know Yuvraj Singh is his mentor,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
“He has probably got a better bat swing than him as well. You cannot get a better bat swing than that. Whenever Abhishek strikes the ball, it goes very far. So people can mistake him for being a slogger. The one thing Abhishek has been guilty of is showing intent on every ball,” he added.
Ravichandran Ashwin also advised Abhishek Sharma to rely more on timing than power. The former spinner said the left-hander does not need to muscle every shot and should trust his natural swing to clear the field.
Meanwhile, in their Super 8s match, India defeated Zimbabwe by 72 runs. The result sets up a virtual knockout against West Indies. The winner of that match will secure a semi-final spot.
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