As young Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma hit the nets at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, his free-flowing bat swing was bound to catch the eye, reminiscent of former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. As Abhishek faced the throwdown specialists, the sound of the bat and his crisp timing stole the show. The leather ball landing straight in the stands only added to the spectacle, circling Abhishek’s impressive performance in the ongoing IPL. His batting has been about demolishing the bowling line-ups.
Abhishek Sharma has scored 470 runs in 14 innings, with none of those innings lasting more than 28 balls. He has hit the most sixes this season, with 41 to his name. His slowest half-century in this IPL came off 21 balls, with others arriving in just 16 and 19 deliveries. In a tournament featuring many established top-order names, Abhishek has held his own with breathtaking strokeplay.
“Whenever your son plays well, you feel proud. This season, God has been very kind. Abhishek has worked really hard on his game,” Abhishek’s father and childhood coach Raj Kumar Sharma told RevSportz. “Spending 4-5 hours a day at nets, maintaining a disciplined schedule, focusing just on the goal, have helped Abhishek take his game to a new level.
“His timing has always been sweet but he tweaked his technique with greater emphasis on using the bottom hand for hitting more sixes. What he has been doing is astonishing. He has always been talented. He used to be very stubborn as a kid when it came to cricket. He always wanted to go with me to the ground when I was a player back in the day. From there he started loving this sport and wanted to be a cricketer. From there I said (to myself), ‘I’ll train him to the best of my ability’.”
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As an opening duo, Travis Head and Abhishek have redefined power-hitting. Head (533 runs at 199.62) and Abhishek (470 at 207.04) have hit 72 sixes and 96 boundaries between them. When SRH set a record with 288 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, the pair was at the center of it all.
“I think playing with Head has also helped him. He is also a leftie and plays attacking cricket, so you can exchange a lot of ideas and how to improve your game. I always feel that if you don’t play, you won’t learn. I don’t know what clicked this season but I remember dropping him at the airport before the tournament started and he said ‘dad, this season will be next level’. And he has kept his words,” Sharma senior said.
Abhishek’s career took a significant step forward in 2022 when Sunrisers bid Rs. 6.5 crore to retain him, and he repaid the faith with 426 runs that season. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023-24, India’s domestic T20 tournament, Abhishek played a similar role for Punjab, scoring 485 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of 192.46, the best among batters facing at least 120 balls. His success was central to Punjab winning the title, boosting his confidence heading into the IPL.
“Training with Yuvraj Singh has worked wonders for him. Abhishek was his fan too when Yuvi used to play. He always wanted to watch cricket whenever Yuvi was batting. Yuvraj has seen him play in the past as well but around 3-4 years ago, he completely took him under his tutelage. It is sometimes unbelievable when your idol becomes your coach. Strict diet, proper training, discipline, Yuvi has come as a guiding light in his career.
“The best part about Yuvi the coach is that he keeps tabs about things. Even when he is out of the country, he will call and ask about his schedule and even ask for videos from his sessions. He is very strict that way. And along with love, Abhishek fears him as well. It’s a good mix to have (laughs),” Sharma said. “Even Brian Lara has worked hard behind him. Lara always tells Abhishek, ‘why haven’t you played for India yet’. Hopefully someday soon.”
After leading India to the U-19 Asia Cup title in 2016 and being part of the 2018 U-19 World Cup-winning squad, Sharma was picked up by Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) in 2018 for Rs. 55 lakh. He moved to SRH the following year but played just 22 games in his first four IPL seasons, scoring 241 runs.
In the current IPL, Abhishek has been brutal against pace, striking boundaries square of the wicket and down the ground with a clean swing. Against spin, he dances down the track to force bowlers to change their plans. His confidence, along with Head’s, has instilled fear in the opposition.
While it was understandable that Abhishek didn’t make India’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, his IPL performance suggests he will be in the mix in bilateral series to start with. With T20 batting becoming increasingly aggressive, Abhishek’s onslaught this season indicates he is ready to meet that challenge.
“Abhishek has always been a confident kid. He was a prolific scorer in age-group cricket and now has started scoring runs for Punjab too. Selection is completely up to the selectors and with so much competition and talent, it is tough to break in. But God willingly, if everything remains okay then hopefully he’ll play for India. That’s what every parent wishes for. Before that, I wish him the best to win the IPL trophy. A solid knock or two in a big pressure knockout match can fastrack that process of senior India selection. I wish him the best,” Sharma concluded.