Sixer King? Abhishek Sharma reveals how father's advice helped ...

India vs Zimbabwe: 23-year-old Abhishek Sharma hit as many as 8 sixes on Sunday when he brought up his maiden T20 international century. The fearless India opener recalled his father's advice, saying it helped him develop a liking for big shots.

Abhishek Sharma hit 8 sixes en route to a 47-ball hundred against Zimbabwe (AP Photo)

Young Abhishek Sharma credited his father's inputs for his fearless approach when it comes to big-hitting in T20 cricket. After smashing a hundred for India in only his second T20 international game, the Punjab all-rounder spoke about how he worked on the mental aspect of going for the big shots from the word go. Abhishek's 47-ball hundred helped India beat Zimbabwe in the second of the five-match T20I series in Harare on Sunday, July 07.

Abhishek Sharma got out for a duck while trying to play a big shot on his T20I debut -- the first match of the series on Saturday in Harare. With the next game scheduled for Sunday, the 23-year-old from Punjab had very little time to reflect on what happened in the series opener. Abhishek came out all guns blazing in the 2nd T20I, setting the tone from the word go. India lost captain Shubman Gill cheaply on Sunday, but Abhishek got his first runs in international cricket with a six against Brian Bennett.

ZIM vs IND, 2nd T20I: Highlights

Abhishek Sharma got to his fifty with a six in the 11th over in which he tore into Dion Myers, collecting 28 runs. Incidentally, Abhishek went from 82 to 100 with a hat-trick of sixes against Wellington Masakadza, bringing up his landmark in style. Abhishek hit as many as eight sixes and seven boundaries in a whirlwind knock that helped India post 234 for 2 in 20 overs.

"Sixer King? Well, I don't feel like that. I think it's all the hard work that I have done," Abhishek Sharma told the press on Sunday, playing down the tag that was offered to him.

"Special thanks to my dad who always encouraged me to play lofted shots even when I was a kid. Usually, coaches don't allow you to play lofted shots much. My dad used to tell me 'if you want to play a lofted shot, it should go out of the ground'. For me, from my childhood, I have realised that if I'm confident, I like to express myself," the left-handed opener said.

Also Read: 'I played with Shubman Gill's bat'

It was no surprise that Abhishek Sharma hit the most sixes in the IPL 2024 season. The SunRisers Hyderabad star, who opened with Australia's Travis Head, hit 42 sixes, four more than second-placed Heinrich Klaasen and Virat Kohli.

Abhishek Sharma was quick to credit the IPL for helping the young guns ease into international cricket. Apart from Abhishek, India handed debuts to Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel in the fist T20I. Gujarat Titans' Sai Sudharsan made his debut on Sunday in the second T20I.

"I think IPL plays a big role in this because as a youngster, as a debutant, we didn't feel much pressure when we came to represent the country," Abhishek said.

"It's always a great motivation once you are playing for the country. Unfortunately, it didn't go well in yesterday's game, but my mindset and intent were the same. I think it's all about approach in T20, about intent. If I show intent and if it is my day, it usually goes like this," he added.

Abhishek Sharma will be keen on building on the good start to his international career and continue the good work when India take on Zimbabwe in the third T20I on Wednesday, July 10 in Harare.