If the ball is in Abhishek Sharma's arc, he will take no half-measures. That's how the young left-handed batsman from Punjab operates.
The going wasn't smooth for Abhishek in his previous T20I appearances in India. But, with the conditions getting easier for batsmen in the second half at the Eden on Wednesday, Abhishek blasted his way to a 34-ball 79 that helped India canter to a seven-wicket win after the spinners restricted England to a modest 132.
Abhishek admitted being a tad "cautious" early on his innings, but he took little time to settle down and once he did, he finished with five boundaries and as many as eight maximums. "As a batter, it comes in your mind if you haven't done well in five to six innings.
"But the captain (Suryakumar Yadav) and head coach (Gautam Gambhir) gave me the confidence to go and express myself, telling me I could win the game. That made me a lot more confident and I backed myself even more," Abhishek said at the post-match news conference.
The intense competition in the Indian T20 circuit is always a factor, but Abhishek is ready to take it head-on. "From the very beginning, playing in the Indian team was on my mind. Obviously, there's a lot of competition in India, but when the captain himself told me to play my way, that really was a big moment for me and I should continue the good run," he stated.
Abhishek also attributed his success to both current and former Sunrisers Hyderabad coaches. "I belive I am very lucky as I had Yuvipaaji (Yuvraj Singh) first. He has always been there for me.
"Going forward, I had Brian Lara. Even he helped me a lot. Daniel Vettori (current coach), too wanted everyone to express themselves and that gave me the freedom to play my shots and showcase the way I play."