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In the Asia Cup 2025, the India-Pakistan clashes became contests where every ball felt heavier than a season’s worth of pressure. But Abhishek Sharma, with his fearlessness, found a way to cut through the tension with his bat. Twice now, in the most-awaited matches in the tournament, the 25-year-old opener has set a fiery tone in the most audacious way possible, by attacking from the very first ball.
In the first match between the two teams, a packed stadium held its breath and Shaheen Afridi steamed in, only for Abhishek to dance down the track and thread a crisp boundary off the first delivery. In the second game, with tension spilling over from statements, (non)-handshakes, off-field drama and more, Abhishek went one better and launched the first delivery for a towering six.
The build-up to the second match was such that it could have rattled even the most seasoned professionals. The first time around, calls for a boycott had come to the fore, and the aftermath was even more combustible once Suryakumar Yadav, India’s skipper, refused the pre-game and post-match handshakes and dedicated the win to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan then lodged multiple complaints to the ICC over match referee Andy Pycroft’s handling of the situation. Accusations of bias swirled. Pakistan’s final practice session became a media circus when Mohsin Naqvi walked in unexpectedly, and the team hired a sports psychologist to shield players from pressure 24 hours ahead of the game.
But beyond the chaos, Abhishek exuded a mischievous composure. On the eve of the match, while the Pakistan team yelled out “6-0, 6-0” from the other end of the ICC Academy, and debated press conferences and pressure, the left-hand opener casually peppered the premises with sixes alongside Shubman Gill. Noise outside. Clarity inside.
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This ability of Abhishek’s to remain unfazed isn’t accidental. Abhishek’s father, Rajkumar Sharma, a former cricketer and his first coach, revealed in a conversation with the BCCI that such a mindset was drilled into him from his teenage years. “I made him face bowlers who bowled 150 kmph during his under-16 days,” said Rajkumar. “All the kids used to say he might get hurt. I used to ask him, ‘Abhishek will you play 150 kmph deliveries?’ He would say, ‘Make them bowl faster, I’ll play them all.’ That is how his technique was formed. His power hitting is very natural.”
But really, for most players, the first ball is a reconnaissance mission, where they are usually watchful, cautious and respectful. But for Abhishek, it’s a way of showing intent and taking back power from the opposition.
While it may look like recklessness, it is anything but. It is also preparation meeting opportunity. A young man with a fearless mindset, who grew up facing 150kmph deliveries, and was mentored by a World Cup hero – Yuvraj Singh. He has been conditioned to believe that fear too is just another opponent.
Every time he steps out to open the innings for India, the crowd may feel the tension. But for Abhishek, the first ball is simply the beginning of an innings he intends to dominate.
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