SportsPosted at: Oct 5 2026 9:24PM


Abhishek using video analysis to anticipate opposition plans

New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) Fresh from India’s Asian Games gold-medal-winning campaign, opener Abhishek Sharma says he is increasingly preparing for international cricket by trying to think like the opposition and anticipate the plans bowlers may have for him.

The left-hander, who is expected to provide an attacking start when India begin their new home season against the West Indies, said his aggressive approach is backed by detailed planning and video analysis.

“It’s not like I just go and hit. I know there are world-class bowlers, world-class teams ahead, and they won’t give away easy runs, and they won’t easily let me hit the shots I want to play. But as a player, I feel this is my responsibility, that I think about what they are thinking,” Abhishek said on JioStar.

The 26-year-old said he has been working with his video analyst to look at his batting from the perspective of an opposition bowler and identify ways teams could try to restrict him.
“Recently, I’ve been talking with my video analyst that, ‘If you were in the other team, probably, just imagine you’ve been working with the Afghanistan team right now, then what plans would you keep for me as a bowler?’ So, I asked him that, took videos from him. So, I keep preparing myself, that they won’t bowl where I want. I will have to make some adjustments. They are not going to give you easy runs. So, I prepare myself like that,” he added.

Abhishek was one of the key performers in India’s Asian Games triumph but said the focus now should be on turning success into a habit rather than simply celebrating past achievements.

“I feel, in cricket especially, when I came, I was 24, now I am 26, as a young cricketer, you tell yourself that there’s still a lot to achieve, it’s just a start. Doing it once, I feel, is still easy, but making that thing a habit and doing it again and again, keeping the process the same, it’s not easy as a player. But if the atmosphere in the team is such that everyone wants to perform for each other, wants to make India win, wants to dominate, then I feel it becomes a habit and it definitely helps,” Abhishek said.

The opener will also share the top-order with 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Abhishek said the teenager has already gained valuable experience and that senior players are keen to make him comfortable in the dressing room.

“He is a very smart guy. He is not like how we used to behave at 15 or anyone does because he has already been in that cricket setup for 2-3 years. So he knows what, where, and how much to practice. I feel gradually these are things he will learn more with experience. And what we discuss in the team with each other, all teammates, is how we can make him more comfortable.

“Because we all know what he has achieved and that he belongs here. So I also feel like it’s my duty as well, to make him feel that all of us, his elder brothers, are here for him. You just have to enjoy and just give your best and win the games whenever you get the chance,” he added.

The West Indies series will give India their first opportunity to build on their recent success and start the new home season strongly.
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