'His preparation, his belief in his own ability, the range of shots that he has, and then the mindset to go out there and back himself from ball one.'
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has warned Australia to be wary of in-form opener Abhishek Sharma ahead of the five-match Twenty20 International series starting in Canberra on Wednesday.
Abhishek, 25, has been in blistering touch in recent months, earning the Player of the Tournament award in India's Asia Cup triumph. On slow, spin-friendly tracks in the UAE, the left-hander amassed 314 runs in seven innings at an average of nearly 45 and a strike rate of 200.
'He's a gun T20 player. If he's in for a while, there's guaranteed entertainment. Irrespective of whether you're Australian or Indian, youll enjoy it,' Shastri told Fox Cricket.
'He has the ability to take the game away from you. You don't want him out there too long because he can create chaos.
'His preparation, his belief in his own ability, the range of shots that he has, and then the mindset to go out there and back himself from ball one. From the get-go, he'll go after the bowling. That's where he can be extremely dangerous, very explosive, and quietly confident about his own ability,' Shastri added.
Abhishek has two T20I hundreds in just 24 matches -- one of only six Indians to achieve the feat -- and holds the record for the second-fastest T20I century by an Indian, a 37-ball blitz against England earlier this year.
Currently ranked the world's No. 1 T20I batter, the aggressive opener has 849 runs at an average of 37 and a strike rate close to 200 since his debut last July.
The series will mark Abhishek's first international appearance in Australia, capping a stellar year in which he has averaged almost 50 at a strike rate of over 200 in T20Is.
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