Shubman Gill goes 6, 4, 6 against Abhishek Sharma, but India star gets his revenge

Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma have shared dressing rooms, opened together for India and grown up through the same Punjab cricket system. On Monday, though, the two long-time teammates found themselves on opposite sides as Fazilka Falcons faced Amritsar Soormas in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League in Mohali.

Gill had the better of the early exchange, taking on Abhishek when the left-arm spinner returned for the 10th over. The Fazilka captain launched the first ball straight down the ground for six, followed it with a four through deep mid-wicket and then cleared the ropes again off the fifth delivery.

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It was a 6, 4, 6 sequence that took Gill closer to a commanding half-century, but Abhishek had the final ball of the over to respond. Gill went for another big hit and picked out Naman Dhir, departing for a 35-ball 67 that included eight fours and three sixes. Fazilka eventually posted 191/6, with Pranshu Pratap making 40 and Sanvir Singh adding 40 off 21 balls.

ABHISHEK’S BLISTERING RESPONSE

If Gill had dominated their individual exchange with the ball, Abhishek quickly made his mark with the bat. Opening the chase alongside Sahaj Dhawan, he helped Amritsar get off to a flying start as the pair put together 79 for the first wicket.

Abhishek's 15-ball 49 was packed with six fours and four sixes, coming at a strike rate of more than 300. He fell just short of a half-century, but had already given the Soormas the momentum required in a chase of 192.

Fazilka did manage to pull things back after Abhishek's dismissal, reducing Amritsar to 152/5. Rahul Kumar then held the chase together with an unbeaten 53 off 35 balls, taking the Soormas over the line by four wickets with four balls to spare.

Gill's 67 was the highest score of the match, while Abhishek's 49 proved crucial in setting up Amritsar's chase. The win kept the Soormas' semi-final hopes alive and gave the two Punjab teammates plenty to talk about after a rather lively evening at the I.S. Bindra Stadium.

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