Coaches reveal the untold story behind Abhishek Sharma’s rise
Published - 11 Dec 2025, 01:23 PM
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Abhishek Sharma is set to make his home debut for India in the second T20I against South Africa in Mullanpur on Thursday (December 11). Ahead of this important match, Abhishek Sharma’s coaches opened up about the hard work he has been putting in over the years that’s behind his rise to the Indian cricket team.
The power, the timing, and the confidence the young batting sensation shows at the crease are the result of years of hard work, discipline, and practice that started when he was a young boy. From the age of 11-12, Abhishek’s life revolved around cricket. His father and first coach, Rajkumar Sharma, ensured that his son lived like a professional athlete even as a teenager.
Abhishek Sharma’s 4 AM routine revealed ahead of him home debut
The proud father revealed that Abhishek’s days started at 4 am with gym workouts, running, swimming, and all forms of training to build fitness, strength, and endurance. After that, he spent hours batting, perfecting his technique and working on his shots.
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Rajkumar Sharma was quoted as saying by The Indian Express: “His days started at 4am. From gym and exercise to running and swimming—he did everything he could to constantly improve as a player.”
People who trained and watched him in Mohali still remember how he would hit sixes so easily that balls would fly into the stands, and ground staff would have to fetch them back. Even at such a young age, he showed the kind of power and timing that is rare among kids his age.
Punjab junior coach Arun Bedi recalls being amazed by Abhishek’s skill when he would effortlessly clear the ropes while others were still learning to time the ball. Bedi said, “Abhishek would hit sixes with lofted shots at an age when boys are still learning to middle the ball. It spoke volumes about his skill.”
Abhishek Sharma is scared of Yuvraj Singh: Father
Meanwhile, over the years, some of cricket’s greatest minds have helped shape the player Abhishek Sharma is becoming. From sessions with VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid in the national setup to learning under Ricky Ponting and Brian Lara in the IPL, he has picked up lessons from every corner apart from his father and coach.
But it was the legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh who changed everything for the youngster. Yuvraj began guiding Abhishek during the COVID lockdown, and since then, his influence has been strong. And even the Indian opener admitted Yuvraj's influence on his game many times.
Abhishek’s father shared, “Even now, when he thinks Abhishek has made a mistake, he will pick up the phone and call and scold him. And Abhishek is scared of him too (laughing).”
How Brian Lara and Yuvraj Singh used Golf to transform Abhishek Sharma’s bat flow
A father and coach also revealed that the former Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) coach Lara and Yuvraj also introduced Abhishek to golf, not for relaxation or enjoyment, but to improve his batting movement. He noted that working on his golf swing has helped a lot.
Rajkumar signed off by saying, “It has improved his bat swing, made it cleaner.”
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