Abhishek Sharma explains meditation celebration after record century vs Afghanistan
After smashing India's fastest T20I century to seal a series sweep, Abhishek Sharma revealed his pitch-side meditation was about calm, not copying a footballer.
India opener Abhishek Sharma played a blistering innings in the third and final T20 match against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. His 108 runs off 34 balls sealed not just the match but the entire series for India. What happened after the innings was talked about well beyond the ground.
Abhishek completed his century in just 30 balls, becoming India's fastest T20 International centurion. In doing so, he broke Rohit Sharma's earlier record of 34 balls. As soon as he reached his century, Abhishek surprised everyone with his celebration. He put his bat down, removed his helmet, and sat on the pitch in a meditation pose. In the video that emerged, he was seen chanting what appeared, on closer viewing, to be "Om Namah Shivaya".
Abhishek's fans already know he is a devotee of Shiva and meditates regularly. After this unusual celebration, some people criticised it, calling it an imitation of footballer Erling Haaland's celebration. However, Abhishek addressed the matter himself and clarified that his gesture was neither inspired by nor a copy of Haaland's celebration.
Abhishek said, "I have been meditating and reflecting for the last six months to a year, because when you play cricket throughout the year, there are a lot of ups and downs as a cricketer. So how do you keep your mind calm in that situation? I feel meditation has really helped me a lot, and I just wanted someone to see it, or for any cricketer to feel that it has really helped me over the last six to eight months. So it was a special celebration for the thing that keeps me calm."
On the back of Abhishek's innings, India posted a big total of 221 for 7 in 20 overs. In reply, Afghanistan's entire team was bowled out for just 94 runs in 14 overs. India won the final match by a huge margin of 127 runs, completing a clean sweep of the three-match series. India had already taken an unassailable lead by winning the first two matches by seven wickets each, and Abhishek's explosive innings in the third match sealed the series for India.
