Secret behind Abhishek Sharma’s success: Rise of Shubman Gill, a tweak in batting stance Yuvraj Singh and discipline | Cricket News

A video went viral on social media after the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings ten days back. Arshdeep Singh can be seen asking Abhishek Sharma’s mother in the stands: “Aunty ji jehda aashirvaad enhu daindo o, oh wala deo mainu v…same chahida mainu (Give me the blessings which you give to Abhishek… I want the same one). Arshdeep, who has played with Abhishek since their U-14 days, was referring to his friend’s form and consency in this season.He couldn’t find that touch in the final, outdone a pearler from Mitch Starc, but Abhishek has walloped 484 runs in 16 innings with a strike rate of 204.02. He became the first batsman to pile up more than 400 runs without even facing 30 balls in a single innings. The most number of deliveries he has faced was 28 against Lucknow Super Giants, where he remained unbeaten on 75 to chase down 166-run target in 9.4 overs.
His father, who didn’t travel to Chennai to watch the summit clash, reveals how the growth of Shubman Gill has ignited the fire and hunger inside his son and how he has realised the importance of consency.
“I have watched his few IPL games over the years and now I have told him I will watch the match live when he will be making India debut. That’s the dream we both share,” Rajkumar Sharma tells The Indian Express.
“He was always talented. As you have heard so many times, Yuvraj Singh has himself said that Abhishek is even better than him and he sees a bit of himself in him. But consency has been an issue. He has realised it lately, courtesy of the rise of Shubman (Gill), his best friend. They have opened for Punjab since their U-14 days and he has seen Shubman’s rise very closely.
“In the last two years, when Shubman had cemented his place in all three formats and Arshdeep (Singh) started taking the big strides, he got the reality check. I remember him saying ‘Papa itne mey nahi hoga (This is not enough). He realised that scoring two or three good knocks in one IPL season and the same in the domestic won’t help him get into recognition of selectors,” says Sharma Sr.
“Before leaving for the IPL, at the Amritsar airport he told me ‘Aap khush honge is baar meri batting dekh kar (You will be happy after seeing my batting this season).”
Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Abhishek Sharma plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans, at Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad, Sunday, March 31, 2024. (PTI Photo)
Rajkumar, who is busy building a cricket ground for his son in Amritsar, credits Yuvraj Singh and the work the former Indian cricketer has put on with Abhishek in the past four years.
“It started during the Covid. When Yuvraj started training Shubman and Abhishek in Chandigarh. In the last two seasons, Yuvraj has tweaked his batting stance a bit. Abhishek’s backlift has always been high but he used to bow down but now he stays still, which helps him generate more power,” explains Rajkumar Sharma.
The crowdpuller
Avishkar Salvi, who is the coach of Punjab, calls the southpaw the crowdpuller, who just needs to be given a free hand at the top.
“He is total paisa wasool, proper box office, and explosive talent. He is someone, you would love to pay and watch. During the Syed Mushtaq Ali, myself and Mandy (Mandeep Singh) had a chat with Abhishek and Prabhsimran, our openers that we need to maximise the powerplay. Abhishek was our MVP, he ended up being the player of the tournament. Forget the white ball, even in the red ball he gives you that adrenaline rush. He bats like a left-handed Sehwag in the longer format,” says Salvi.
Abhishek has played a pivotal role in Punjab lifting the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. He has scored 485 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of 192.46, the best among batters who had faced at least 120 balls in the tournament.
Abhishek Sharma receives the Angel One Super Sixes of the season award during the final of the Indian Premier League season 17 (IPL 2024) between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on the 26th May 2024. (Sportzpics)
He has been given the license to hit from Pat Cummins and Daniel Vettori at the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“He is not under any pressure. He is playing with freedom. Pat Cummins and the SRH team management have given him a free hand to go after the bowlers and it doesn’t matter whether he gets out on the first ball,” says Abhishek’s father.
A genuine all-rounder
In the first Qualifier against Rajasthan Royals, Abhishek bowled brilliantly, removing the Royals captain Sanju Samson on 10 and the Impact substitute Shimron Hetmyer for 4.
Abhishek later dedicated his bowling performance to his father, who is also a left-arm spinner.
“My father will be very happy, he was a left-arm spinner. He has been working really hard on my bowling,” said Abhishek. “Somehow, I knew that if I kept on working on my bowling I could contribute to my team. Since junior cricket, I have been bowling a lot. I was waiting for this opportunity. It was not easy, I had to convince my captain and coach because they had not seen me bowling much.”
Earlier this year, in an exclusive chat with this newspaper, Abhishek had said being a genuine all-rounder gives him an edge over Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

“I am a better bowler than all of them! None of them bowl. I have got an edge over them. Yes, there is competition but I want to be a match-winner in both departments,” Abhishek had said. He now waits for the India call.