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Abhishek Sharma trains with former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who, according to Abhishek’s father, has played a big role in shaping his career and bringing the best out of him.
Yuvraj Singh is mentor of Abhishek Sharma. (Picture Credit: Instagram/@abhisheksharma_4)
24-year-old Abhishek Sharma, who made his international debut for India on July 6, 2024, during a T20I match against Zimbabwe in Harare, is making headlines these days. The cricketer from Amritsar hammered 135 runs from just 54 balls for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side in the fifth T20I against England, which was played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (February 2). During his stay at the crease, Abhishek broke the record for the highest score and most sixes in a T20I match for India.
Abhishek’s father, Raj Kumar Sharma, has credited legendary Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh for shaping his son’s career and said training with him has helped Abhishek immensely.
“Yuvraj Singh has had lots of conversations with him about him taking a few singles. But Abhishek says ‘Paaji, when I see the ball I feel I can hit it for a six or a four every time. And when I can hit a ball for six, why bother running?’ But Yuvraj is very adamant that if he wants to play all three formats, he must start rotating the strike and learn to play as per the situation,” Raj Kumar told Indian Express.
According to Abhishek’s father, Yuvraj gave him a training routine during the lockdown, which he still follows religiously, and gave him the confidence that he can win matches for India.
“Yuvraj has taught him how to walk. Raat din iske peeche laga rahe. He has always looked after his training. He has called him to Mohali, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, or Mumbai, wherever he was. It was Yuvraj who gave him the confidence that he could win matches for India. He gave him a schedule. Abhishek still follows it. He wakes up at 4. He starts with meditation, yoga, swimming, and the gym, and then batting, bowling, and fielding. This has been his routine for four-five years.”
Abhishek plays local tournaments in the off-season where he tries to execute the shots he has learned in training sessions.
“In these tournaments, he tries and executes what he has learnt in the training. He sends the videos to Yuvraj, who looks at them and gives his feedback. The duo talks every day for an hour at night.”
“What more can I say about Yuvraj? Not only cricket, but he has helped him grow as a person too. He has worked on his communication skills, taught him driving, and takes him to the golf course to play golf,” Raj Kumar added.
The former Indian all-rounder asked Abhishek to learn from West Indies great Brian Lara during his stint in the IPL with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Lara was head coach of SRH in the 2023 edition of the IPL.
“Yuvi has asked him to note down everything that Lara says. It was Lara who, after seeing his eagerness to hit sixes, took him to a golf course and said, ‘This sport will help in your bat swing.’ And then he continued to play golf with Yuvraj in Chandigarh as well. It has helped him in his game. Lara even told him that ‘Abhishek, you will rule the world. People will come and watch you play. You have the talent to fill the stadium,’” Abhishek’s father added.
Before joining the Indian team in Kolkata for the T20I series on January 19, Abhishek trained with Shikhar Dhawan, where the former Indian opener explained to him the importance of taking singles.
“Yuvraj called him to Gurgaon before the series. He trained there with Shikhar Dhawan. The idea was to learn how Dhawan plays those exquisite grounded cover drives and square drives. Dhawan explained to him the importance of taking singles. It was a one-week camp with Yuvraj and Dhawan,” reveals Raj Kumar Sharma.
