3 months ago
185
"Fad jara ehnu," tweeted Yuvraj Singh in Punjabi a couple of hours after Shubman Gill smashed 96 off 59 to lead Gujarat Titans to a hard-fought win against Punjab Kings. It loosely translates to "catch him, man". The message was for Abhishek Sharma. Yuvraj, the Player of the Tournament in India's 2011 World Cup-winning campaign wanted Abhishek to match Gill's exploits. The next day, Abhishek responded with a 50-ball 75 in Sunrisers Hyderabad's eight-wicket victory against Chennai Super Kings and dedicated the knock to Yuvraj.
(FILE) Abhishek Sharma raises his bat after scoring a half-century A lot has changed since IPL 2022. Gill has rapidly made his mark in every format of the game, whether in blues or whites. Abhishek too has continued a steady growth in his career but "catching Gill" would need more work... More runs. More wickets.
Amazon Sale season is here! Splurge and save now! Click here
Gill and Abhishek go back a long way. They both made their first-class debut for Punjab in the same season in 2017 before going on to play for India in the U19 World Cup next year. Gill went on to score most runs for India in that tournament and life was never the same for him. Gill was the breakaway star of India's winning campaign but Abhishek's all-round talent didn't go unnoticed either.
The left-handed batter, who is more than a handy finger spinner, is delighted to see Gill make a mark in international cricket but is not a believer in "chasing" his friend anymore. "I'm very happy for him. We are good friends," Abhishek told Hindustan Times in an exclusive chat.
A regular in the Sunrisers Hyderabad XI for the last two seasons, Abhishek has shown glimpses of his talent at the top of the order but is still waiting for a breakthrough season that helps him jump the queue. "Obviously, I want to shine in IPL, it is one of the biggest tournaments. I believe my best is yet to come," he said.
'Yuvraj Singh is my idol': Abhishek Sharma
Yuvraj was one of the first to spot the talent of these two youngsters and even though Abhishek is yet to break into the Indian side like his mate Gill, the former cricketer has been a constant pillar of support for the all-rounder. "Yuvi paaji always tells me not to think about results. I try to focus on what is in front of me. If I start staying in the present and do well then my dreams will be achieved. I give my best in whatever I do. If start thinking about selection and having a breakthrough IPL season, then my focus might be lost."
Yuvraj Singh with Abhishek Sharma(Instagram/Abhishek Sharma) Abhishek did have his moments last year. He was picked as an opener in the emerging player's Asia Cup where he provided brisk starts to India. A couple of months later, he played a major role in Punjab's maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 triumph, returning as the tournament's second-highest run-getter with 485 runs at a mindboggling strike rate of 192.46. Scoring runs quickly has never been an issue with the stylish left-hander. He has a career T20 strike rate of 145 and despite playing his first few seasons in the middle-order - he only got his chance to open the batting regularly in 2022 - he has an impressive strike rate of 137 in the IPL.
What he is trying to work on is getting more consistent with the bat. After a dominating Syed Mushtaq Ali tourney, he had a rather quiet Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring only 96 runs in six outings. But he bounced back with a 91-run knock in the Ranji Trophy opener against Karnataka.
"The basics are the same. In T20s you try to score off every ball in the other formats, you have that extra time. But I have a simple philosophy. No matter what the format is, if a ball is there to be hit, I go at it with no half-measures," he said.
His idol and mentor Yuvraj Singh has had a big part to play in the way he bats, ironing out whatever little technical flaws he had with the bat. "Whatever technical adjustments I needed it was done by Yuvi paaji," he said. "He was my idol when I started playing cricket. I always wanted to be like him. first met him in the Punjab team. He was available for a few matches and II had just entered the team. I used to follow whatever he was doing. Then I don't know how we developed such a strong bond. Maybe he saw something in me. He always guides me. He really backs me. Whenever I get out for a low score, he always talks to me. He is always very confident about my next match. I get a lot of boost after talking to me. Even off the field, no one can get a better guide than Yuvraj Singh."
Move to SRH and the tactical solutions of Lara
Abhishek started his IPL career with the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2018 but with opportunities few and far in between, he moved to SRH ahead of IPL 2021. Next year he was pushed up the order. "In the absence of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, I was given a chance to open the batting. I have been a top-order player always but being an all-rounder, I know, my team might have different plans for me. So I am ready to bat anywhere," he added.
In the mega auction next year, he was picked up by SRH for 6.5 crore. Apart from getting to open the batting, another thing happened in SRH, which changed Abhishek's life. He got in touch with the legendary Brian Lara, the head coach of SRH.
"When I was with Brian Lara for two years, he told me to be tactical. How to score runs in different situations, how to just take a backseat when bowlers are bowling well. He stressed on planning. He always talked about targetting bowlers and calculating what runs I would score before the bowler starts to bowl. It gave me more clarity," Abhishek said.
The 22-year-old knows, his bowling will also play a crucial role, especially at a time when India are focussing on players who can contribute in all three departments. “I have always been an all-rounder. I never neglected my bowling and I know I can take wickets with the ball.”
English (US)