Whenever the name Abhishek Sharma is discussed in Indian cricket, former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh also becomes a part of the chatter. However, Yuvraj isn’t the only former cricketer who has played a key role in Abhishek’s development as a batter. The opening batter’s father, Raj Kumar Sharma, made a heads-turning revelation as he claimed that the India star talks to West Indies legend Brian Lara every single day and has conversations about his batting. Lara and Abhishek first got the opportunity to work with each other during their time at Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Abhishek is blessed to have been coached and mentored by some of the biggest names in world cricket. Be it Yuvraj, Lara, VVS Laxman, or even Rahul Dravid, several famous cricketers have shared their wisdom with the southpaw, who seems to be reaping the benefits now.
“Abhishek is a very lucky guy. He has met many big players who have shared their experiences with him. Rahul Dravid sir met him during his early days. VVS Laxman then worked on him during the IPL. Brian Lara saw him and was shocked, saying, ‘Abhishek has immense talent’. Brian Lara talks with him daily. He always tells him how to build long innings and how to go about playing in different conditions. Brian Lara has always told him that he will be there for him whenever he needs some help,” revealed Abhishek’s father in a chat with Hindustan Times.
“He was fond of cricket since the very beginning. He always liked hitting sixes. When I trained him, he was just focused on hitting fours and sixes. When he was playing U14, I knew he had real talent. In U14, he scored three centuries. Then, in U16, he scored the highest runs in India, about 1200 runs, and he took 57 wickets. He was awarded by the BCCI during the Naman Awards as well,” he added.
Abhishek famously hit a 37-ball century against England in the 5th and final T20I of the series. He has since been backed to even break into other formats of the national team.
