Star Indian T20I opener Abhishek Sharma was in sensational form in the Asia Cup 2025 tournament as he ended up with 314 runs and was adjudged the Player of the Tournament. However, not everything was so smooth for the southpaw ever since the time he made his T20I debut for India.
Abhishek was inconsistent in his first few innings and had given the team management every right to be a bit frustrated with him. However, despite him not quite making the most of his chances, skipper Suryakumar Yadav once gave him full confidence. Abhishek claimed that SKY told him he would still play even if he scored 15 ducks in a row.
Abhishek Sharma opened up on just how big a vote of confidence it was for him that such a vote of confidence was coming from the Indian captain. Here`s what he said on the `Breakfast with Champions` podcast about the incident:
“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 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? It was such a big deal that the captain was saying this. He told me, `Get out as many times, you`ll still play.` One thing became very clear to me that if I want to do well and make a name for myself, I have to do something different. 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.”
Abhishek Sharma shares a great bond with star batter Shubman Gill, having played through age-group cricket together over the years. The southpaw revealed a funny incident where Gill got away, showing an innocent facial expression despite being at fault. Here`s what Abhishek said:
“We were in Dharamsala for the Under-16. Our hotel was 500m away from the stadium. We used to go there by bus. The driver was stopping the music, but we wanted to play Punjabi songs. He said no, and we got into an argument with him. And the one who was shouting the most was Shubman. The incident went to the coaches, and the drivers complained.”
Abhishek further added:
“They asked the drivers to identify who did it. There were 4-5 of us. Five of us were standing in a line, and Shubman was last. The coach pointed towards each of us and asked the drivers. They said no, it was not him (Shubman). I was shocked. They called the four of us out and made us sign a letter that was to send us back home. I was sad that the one who started it was not called out. He has a talent for changing expressions. He made an innocent face that day.”