Suryakumar Yadav’s faith in Abhishek Sharma turned out to be a career-changing moment for the young opener, who is now one of India’s biggest stars after his heroics in the Asia Cup 2025.
Abhishek Sharma, who recently bagged the Player of the Tournament award for smashing 314 runs in the eight-team competition, revealed how his captain’s words gave him the belief to play fearlessly.
The 25-year-old made his debut for India after the 2024 T20 World Cup in a series against Zimbabwe. However, his early international days weren’t easy as he struggled with low scores, including a poor run in the series against Bangladesh.
That’s when Suryakumar Yadav stepped in with words that changed everything.
“When I got selected, I got out early in 3-4 innings. Surya bhai told me, ‘You’re such an important player for me that even if you get out for 15 ducks, you will still play the next match. I can give it to you in writing.’ I asked him, ‘Paaji, are you sure?’” Abhishek recalled during a chat on Breakfast With Champions.
The youngster said that Surya’s assurance removed all fear of failure.
“It was such a big deal for me. He told me, ‘Get out as many times as you want, you’ll still play.’ That’s when I realised that if I want to succeed, I have to play differently.”
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‘Needed to trust myself’
Abhishek admitted that he had been holding back his natural attacking instincts for years. But after Suryakumar’s advice, he decided to play with complete freedom.
“I was trying to play long innings and protect my wicket. But I realised my strength is in striking the ball. I told myself that even if I get out early, I’ll back my game throughout the season.”
That change in mindset paid off brilliantly in the Asia Cup 2025. Abhishek crossed the 30-run mark in six matches and finished with 931 rating points in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings — the highest ever for a batter, surpassing Dawid Malan’s 919 from 2020.
His only rare failure came in the final against Pakistan, but by then, he had already cemented his place as India’s next big T20 star.
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