Abhishek Sharma's Turning Point: From Doubts to Dominance

Abhishek Sharma, India's explosive top-order batter, revealed how T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav's faith in him became a turning point in his cricketing career. Despite early struggles after a daring debut against Zimbabwe, Suryakumar assured Sharma of his value to the team, promising continued support even amid consecutive failures.

After a challenging series against Bangladesh, where Sharma managed only 35 runs, Suryakumar's message of trust was vital. It motivated Sharma to shed his restrictive gameplay and adopt an aggressive mindset. "Surya told me that I am so important that even if I score zero in the next 15 innings, I'll still play the 16th," Sharma shared on the Breakfast with Champions show.

This encouragement led Sharma to focus on better ball striking, leading to a remarkable performance in the Asia Cup. With 314 runs at an average of 44.86 in seven matches, Sharma emerged as the highest run-scorer, driving India to an unbeaten title victory.

(With inputs from agencies.)