Abhishek Sharma is now one of the hottest names in Indian cricket after his brilliant performance in the Asia Cup 2025, where he scored 314 runs and was named Player of the Tournament. But Abhishek Sharma’s journey wasn’t always smooth.
When the left-handed batter made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe last year, he struggled to make an impact, often getting out cheaply and failing to string together meaningful scores. It was during this rough patch that the Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav came forward and showed his full support to the 25-year-old batter.
Suryakumar Yadav’s confidence fuels Abhishek Sharma’s breakthrough
The Punjab lad revealed that Suryakumar Yadav had assured him that the Indian cricket team management believed in his talent and would keep giving him chances, even if he had a string of low scores. This confidence gave Abhishek the mental boost he needed to approach the game with more freedom and focus, and the result has just been amazing so far.
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Abhishek Sharma told Gaurav Kapur on the ‘Breakfast With Champions’ show, “When I got selected in the Indian team, I got out early in 3-4 innings in the series against Bangladesh. He told me, ‘You’re such an important player for me that even if you don’t get out for 15 ducks, you will still play the next game. I can give it to you in writing.’ I asked him, ‘Paaji, are you sure?’”
Abhishek Sharma credits Suryakumar Yadav for the mindset shift
The young batter revealed that knowing he had the captain’s faith completely changed his mindset. He realized that to succeed at the international level, he needed to think differently, stay fearless at the crease, and make the most of every opportunity.
Abhishek further explained, “It was such a big deal that the captain was saying this. He told me, “Get out as many times as you like, you’ll still play. One thing became very clear to me: if I want to do well and make a name for myself, I have to do something different.”
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Abhishek Sharma credits aggressive play for T20 success
Meanwhile, the Indian opener revealed that the key to his breakthrough was embracing his natural attacking game. For a long time, he played cautiously and protected his wicket, which affected his performance. But now he is focused on hitting the ball with confidence, taking risks when needed, and trusting his own ability rather than overthinking.
Abhishek signed off by saying, “That was striking the ball for me. I felt that I was stopping myself from doing that because I felt the pressure of playing a long game and keeping my wicket. I completely removed that from my head.
He added, “I thought that I was doing that for the past 4 years. I need to trust myself. Even if I lose my wicket early, I will back myself throughout the season.”
Notably, Abhishek Sharma’s sensational run in the Asia Cup 2025 helped him climb to 931 rating points in the ICC T20I rankings. The earlier highest rating points were 919 points, set by England batter Dawid Malan back in 2020. Now, he is expected to travel to Australia for the white-ball series.