NEW DELHI: A viral video of India opener Abhishek Sharma practicing under the watchful eyes of mentor Yuvraj Singh has caught the imagination of cricket fans worldwide. The footage, shared widely on social media following India’s thrilling Super Four Asia Cup victory over Pakistan, shows Abhishek tonking bowlers for sixes while Yuvraj offers instructions and encouragement.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!In the session, Yuvraj can be heard quipping, “Single bhi le lo Maharaj [take a single too],” as Abhishek maintained his natural attacking flair. The video ends with the 2-time World Cup winner joking: “Tu na sudhri, bas chakke maari jaayi, thale na kheli [you won’t change, hitting only sixes].”WATCH: Abhishek Sharma’s viral net session with Yuvraj Singh Abhishek’s father told TOI that Yuvraj has been instrumental in his son’s development. “Yuvi paaji played a big role in the upliftment of Abhishek’s game. He is his guru and always shares his experience. Yuvraj’s mantra to Abhishek has been: ‘play according to the situation of the game’,” he said, emphasising the focus on team success over individual glory.The mentorship has clearly paid off. Abhishek tempered his aggression while honing his six-hitting instinct under Yuvraj’s guidance. “Back your hitting zones, don’t manufacture shots,” has been Yuvraj’s guiding advice.
The results were evident in India’s six-wicket win over Pakistan, where Abhishek smashed a 39-ball 74 and shared a 105-run opening partnership with Shubman Gill. He also broke the record for the fewest balls to reach 50 T20I sixes among full-member teams, achieving the milestone in just 331 deliveries, surpassing West Indies’ Evin Lewis (366). Among Indians, only skipper Suryakumar Yadav follows with 510 balls.Abhishek said his aggressive approach was a response to Pakistan’s on-field belligerence. “Today it was very simple, the way they were coming at us for no reason, I didn’t like it at all. This was the only way I could give medicine to them,” he explained during the post-match presentation.With his record-breaking performance and mentorship from Yuvraj, Abhishek Sharma is rapidly cementing his place as a top T20I batter while continuing to delight fans with his destructive, yet calculated, batting style.
