Indian opener Abhishek Sharma revealed that he has modelled his aggressive batting style on former captain Rohit Sharma, while admitting that he is still a work in progress and hasn’t reached full maturity as a player yet.

Abhishek made a stunning start to the home series against New Zealand - India’s last bilateral contest before ICC T20 World Cup - by smashing 84 off just 35 balls, an innings packed with five boundaries and eight sixes. His explosive knock powered India to a big total of 238 for 7, which proved decisive in the match.

The left-hander has been in outstanding touch since last year.

Across 22 matches, he has piled up 943 runs at an impressive average of 44.90 and a remarkable strike rate of 196.86, including one century and six half-centuries, with a top score of 135.

Speaking on Cricket Live, Abhishek said that he believes there is always scope for improvement in his batting.

"I would not say I am fully matured yet, because there is always room to improve. But I feel my job is to play aggressive cricket in the first six overs. I have been practicing a lot for that. I know if I give a good start or show good intent early, the team can follow that momentum.

That is what I always think about," he added.

He also highlighted the impact of India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma, explaining that upon joining the side, captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir encouraged him to apply pressure on bowlers in the same fearless manner as the ‘Hitman’.

"Rohit bhai has done a lot for the country. There is always pressure because of the starts he used to give in the powerplay. When I came into the team, the coach and captain wanted the same from me. I felt it suited my style too because I love to attack from the first few balls.

So, I think I have been following in Rohit bhai's footsteps, and I am really happy to play in this manner and do well for India," he said.

Abhishek explained that his aggressive style and intent are shaped by the way he prepares in training ahead of matches.

"When I get a week or ten days, I keep in mind the bowlers I will face in the next series or matches. It all comes down to how I execute those plans. For the upcoming T20 World Cup, I have been practicing for that too. I know we will play all over India in different conditions against different teams, so preparation is key," he said.

"I feel I have to play this way because in most teams, the main bowlers bowl the first few overs. If I score runs in those overs, it helps the team follow that momentum. It also puts the bowlers under pressure. Once that happens, I feel they are playing into my plan, and I can execute it," he said.

India Squad: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav.

New Zealand Squad: Devon Conway (w), Tim Robinson, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, James Neesham, Matt Henry, Michael Bracewell, Zakary Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs.