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"Prepared me to win games for India": Abhishek Sharma credits Yuvraj for Asia Cup rise

Jatin

Yuvraj Singh and Abhishek Sharma [Source: @vijaymirror/x.com]Yuvraj Singh and Abhishek Sharma [Source: @vijaymirror/x.com]

Abhishek Sharma might have lit up the Asia Cup 2025 with his fearless strokeplay and a tournament-high 314 runs at a strike rate of 200 but the road wasn’t always this smooth. Before this purple patch, the left-hander admitted he went through a phase where doubts crept in and comparisons with his peers started weighing him down.

Abhishek Sharma opens up on Yuvraj Singh’s role in his career revival

Shubman Gill, his age-group mate, was already playing for India while Abhishek Sharma found himself struggling for consistency in the IPL and even out of the playing XI.

“I was struggling a bit at that time, honestly. I was not consistent in the IPL and I was not even in the playing XI. Shubman was already playing for India,” Abhishek said on Breakfast with Champions.

The Yuvraj Singh connection

The tide turned when Abhishek leaned on his mentor, 2011 World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh. During the lockdown, he, along with Shubman Gill, Prabhsimran Singh, and Anmolpreet Singh, would often camp at Yuvi’s house for intense training sessions.

“I am very grateful. During the lockdown we would have camps at his place. Me, Shubman, Prabhsimran, Anmolpreet. Basically I needed it. We were going on a flight and I asked him if we could have a camp for a few days. He told yes right away,” Abhishek recalled.

What stood out for him was Yuvraj Singh’s straight talk.

“We were having lunch at his place and paaji told me straight away that he was not preparing me for the state or the IPL or even to get a cap for India. He told me I am making you ready to win games for India. Write this and it will happen in the next two to three years. After that camp, I realized my goal is something else.”

Mentorship with attention to detail

Yuvraj Singh’s mentorship was not just limited to nets and pep talks. Abhishek revealed the extent to which the former India all-rounder invested in the youngsters’ growth.

“He would sit at home and watch our videos, make notes from it, and then take screenshots from different videos to compare before and after. No one knows Yuvi paaji goes into this much detailing. And while we are practicing for over five hours, he will be there with us throughout,” Abhishek said.

That level of involvement not only fine-tuned his batting but also gave him clarity of purpose. The idea was not about quick IPL cameos anymore, it was about making runs count in crunch situations and delivering wins for India.

Asia Cup breakthrough

Coming to 2025, Abhishek Sharma looked like a different beast altogether. Opening the batting with intent, he piled up 314 runs in seven matches at an average of 44.85, including quickfire knocks that set the tone for India’s ninth Asia Cup title. 

His ability to forge crucial stands with Shubman Gill and his fearless shot-making made him the Player of the Tournament. The transformation had Yuvi’s fingerprints all over it. And if his Asia Cup 2025 is anything to go by, this is only the beginning.