Brisbane [Australia], November 8 : Following his side's series win over Australia, India's T20I batting sensation Abhishek Sharma expressed how excited and prepared he was to take on the Australian challenge. He also added that featuring in next year's ICC T20 World Cup would be a "dream come true" for him.
Abhishek finished as the 'Player of the Series' as India secured the T20I series 2-1, with the final match at Brisbane ending in a washout. He top-scored in the series with 163 runs in five innings at an average of 40.75 and a strike rate of over 161, with a half-century and best score of 68.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Abhishek said, "When I got to know we are going to Australia for T20Is, I was very excited. Have seen throughout my career that Australia is very batting-friendly. Feel that we could have got better totals in between. The way he (Josh Hazlewood) was bowling, it was beneficial for any team. I have said before that I always enjoy the battle between batters and bowlers. He is a world-class bowler. If you want to play good cricket and do well in the future, you have to face world-class bowlers. I was practising for these kinds of bowlers only because that is how you are going to do well for your team."
He also thanked captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir for giving him the right freedom to go out and express himself, and spoke on his T20 World Cup winning aspirations, having debuted in Team India after last year's T20 WC win.
"It is one of the biggest tournaments (the T20 World Cup at home next year). It is my dream come true moment if I get to play in the World Cup. As a kid, I have always dreamt about this - winning the World Cup and winning matches for my country. Will make sure I am ready for that tournament," he concluded.
The fifth and final T20 was called off due to rain. Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh won the toss and elected to bowl. India's opening pair, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, had a flying start, putting up a 50-run partnership in just 4.5 overs, before the game was halted due to lightning and rain, and eventually abandoned after a two-hour delay.
At the stoppage of play, the visitors were 52/0 in 4.5 overs with Shubman Gill (29* in 16 balls, with six fours) and Abhishek Sharma (23* in 13 balls, with a four and six) unbeaten on the crease.
After the first T20 was washed out due to rain, Australia won the second, and the Indian team won the next two.
Sharma, during his unbeaten innings of 23, achieved a world record and became the fastest batter to reach 1,000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced.
He surpassed Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav to become the fastest batter to reach 1000 T20I runs among full-member nations, achieving the milestone in 528 balls. Suryakumar had achieved the feat in 573 balls. England's Phil Salt is third on the list and had taken 599 balls to reach 1000 T20I runs.
Sharma has played 29 T20I matches, batting in 28 innings and remaining not out once. He has scored a total of 1,012 runs at an impressive average of 37.48 and a blistering strike rate of 189.51. His highest score in the format is 135, and his tally includes two centuries and six half-centuries.
Abhishek also joined an elite company by becoming the second-fastest Indian to reach 1000 T20I runs, achieving the milestone in just 28 innings, behind only Virat Kohli, who achieved it in 27.
With this series victory, India's unbeaten run in the T20I series under head coach Gautam Gambhir continues, marking five consecutive bilateral T20I series wins.