“He is out of form but very dangerous” - AB de Villiers shares a piece of advice to under-pressure Abhishek Sharma

Former South African middle-order dashing batter AB de Villiers has shared a valuable piece of advice for the dashing opening batter Abhishek Sharma ahead of the virtual quarter-final clash against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Speaking exclusively on his YouTube channel, De Villiers asserted that Sharma has been feeling a bit of pressure, having suffered three ducks in as many games in the group stage of the showpiece event.

"He's (Abhishek Sharma) out of form but very dangerous. They'll need him against the West Indies. It's a pressure game, and for a guy out of form to play a pressure game is tough. Look at Jos Buttler, for instance, against New Zealand. You can see he's feeling a bit of pressure. He's one of the best T20 players ever, and if he can feel the pressure, Abhishek will certainly feel the pressure against the West Indies with the entire country on his back,” AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

"They'll want him to perform, knowing the standards he has set over the last few months. That can sometimes get very heavy on a player,” he added.

Furthermore, he shared a piece of advice to the under-pressure Sharma, stating to see the cricket ball, take a few deep breaths, make sure to slow things down, and not look for big shots initially in the game.

"My advice to him would be to just focus on what you are good at. That is to see the cricket ball, take a few deep breaths, and make sure you slow things down. When you feel like the bowlers are rushing you, send them back. Pretend like you are taking your guard again," he observed.

"Have a look at the dimensions of the ground, take a deep breath, keep the ball on the floor, and do the basics well. Get off the mark and try to get to 5 off 5, and don't look for the big shots initially. That's been the go-to that's worked the last few months for him,” he concluded.

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