Abhishek Sharma eyes SRH's 2nd IPL title, opens up on journey, Yuvraj Singh's influence

Abhishek Sharma has emerged as a key figure for Sunrisers Hyderabad and is now aiming to guide the franchise to its second IPL title.

Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Dream On’, the left-handed batter opened up about his cricketing journey, early inspiration, and the impact of training with Yuvraj Singh, along with lessons learned from teammate Travis Head.

Recalling his early days, Sharma said he grew up in a strong cricketing environment.

“There was a strong cricketing environment at home from the start. My father played Ranji Trophy for Punjab and was also a coach. Watching him inspired me to take up the game. When I watched India-Pakistan matches or World Cup games on TV, I felt motivated. I used to think that I wanted to play at that level too,” he said.

On recognising his potential, Sharma added, “I was quite young when I first started enjoying both, batting and bowling. Then came an Under-12 tournament. I performed well there, scoring plenty of runs and picking up wickets. That’s when I realised I had the talent to take up cricket seriously.”

Speaking about his IPL journey, he described the league as a valuable learning platform. “The IPL brings together the best cricketers from around the world. It is the number one T20 league. Getting an opportunity to play here feels like a blessing. I treat every IPL season as a learning experience. Playing alongside and against these top players teaches you so much.”

Sharma also highlighted the influence of Yuvraj Singh on his development. “Training with Yuvi paaji was a huge moment for me. I had looked up to him since I was a child. He was my idol. He gave me some guidance early on, but we didn’t have much time together. Then came the lockdown. I think he saw it as an opportunity to work closely with a few players. I was lucky to be one of them. When our camp began, he said something that truly changed my belief,” the SRH batter said.

“He told me that the training and mindset we were building was not just for domestic cricket or IPL, and not just for playing a few games for India. He said that he was preparing me mentally to win big matches for India, to play impactful innings, and to deliver with the ball when it matters most,” Sharma added.

On learning from Travis Head, Sharma said, “I had been following his game for a year and a half before he joined SRH. I admire how he performs across formats and dominates bowling attacks. He told me his plan is simple—watch the ball closely and if you feel you can hit the first delivery, go for it. I followed his advice in my practice before the IPL. Now, if the ball is in my slot, I look to hit it from the first delivery.”