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Abhishek Sharma thanks Hazlewood for leaving series early 'Player Of The Series Award' win

Abhinav Tyagi

Abhishek Sharma wins player of the series - (Source: AFP)Abhishek Sharma wins player of the series - (Source: AFP)

On Saturday, November 8, India locked horns against Australia for the fifth and final T20I match of the series. The Men in Blue, batting first, got off to a positive start, but rain interrupted the game in the sixth over.

Eventually, the rain had the final say, and the match was abandoned without any result. It also meant that India went onto win the series 2-1 and extended their superb run under Suryakumar Yadav's era.

Abhishek Sharma, who is in fine form, won the player of the series award for being the leading run-getter in this series with 163 runs in five matches.  Following the accolade, Abhishek Sharma spoke about the successful series and also joked about Josh Hazlewood leaving the series early, which actually took the pressure off him.

"Of course, I was waiting for this tournament. When I found out that we were visiting Australia for a T20I series, I was very excited. All this time I have seen that Australia have very good batting conditions for everyone. That is what I was practising for. Still, we could have batted a bit better and got a few better totals. I feel that whatever we practised and planned, we have executed it," remarked Abhishek during post-match conference.


"Of course, for any team, it was beneficial not to face Josh Hazlewood. I always enjoy the battle between a batter and a bowler. You have to face world-class bowlers and bowling attacks, if you have to do well in future. I was practising for this kind of bowling attack. That is where you do good for your team and build momentum. No, I feel, special mention to my captain and coach," he added.

Abhishek Sharma opens up on T20 World Cup dreams

Abhishek has also opened up on the role given to him by the team management, which is to score quickfire runs in the powerplay. 

"They have given me the special responsibility of just going and expressing myself. As a batter, when you are scoring 20s and 30s, it isn't easy. You know, sometimes, you have it in you to bat for a longer time. But that is the clarity you have as a player, and the support staff gives it. I have to be on top-notch. Yeah, one of the biggest tournaments. It would be my dream come true to be playing in the T20 World Cup and win it for my country. It has been a childhood dream. Looking forward to it," Abhishek concluded.

Notably, India will host T20 World Cup 2026 which will begin in February next year. Further, Abhishek narrowly missed out on breaking Virat Kohli's record.

Most Runs for India in a T20I Series in Australia:

  • 199 - Virat Kohli, 2016 (3 inns)
  • 163 - Abhishek Sharma, 2025 (5 inns)*
  • 143 - Rohit Sharma, 2016 (3 inns)