Chandigarh: The T20 World Cup was seen as a grand stage for Abhishek Sharma’s dazzling array of shots. But it proved a severe test of the explosive opener’s methods and confidence – three ducks in a row to start with and three more failures. However, the 25-year-old overcame the low points to celebrate victory with his ecstatic teammates.
An important fifty (55) against Zimbabwe in the Super 8s showed signs of a turnaround, with the 21-ball 52 in a dominant batting display against New Zealand in the final bringing Abhishek to the party.
In an interview with HT, Abhishek talks about overcoming self-doubts, retaining mental balance and the support from skipper Suryakumar Yadav, coach Gautam Gambhir and mentor Yuvraj Singh.
Excerpts
You had a mixed World Cup… How do you look back, and what were the biggest learnings?
It was a tournament of extremes for me. There were a couple of innings where I felt really good about the way I contributed to the team, and then there were a few which obviously hurt. But that’s the nature of the game, especially when you play an aggressive role at the top. The biggest learning for me was staying balanced, not getting too high after a good innings and not too low after failures. Playing a World Cup teaches you quickly how important mental strength and process are.
What was your frame of mind preparing for the final against New Zealand?
My mindset was very simple, stay calm and focus on the basics. It’s easy to get carried away because it’s a World Cup final, but I tried to treat it like any other big game. I focused on my preparation, visualised different match situations and reminded myself to play for the team. That approach helped me stay composed.
What was going through your mind in that phase when you were getting out early, that too in a tournament as big as the World Cup?
When you get out early a few times, the first reaction is disappointment. You want to contribute and when it doesn’t happen, it stays in your mind. I was lucky to have great support, the captain, coaches and senior players kept reminding me to trust my game. I also tried to stay in the present and not carry the previous innings into the next one.
Surya has often spoken about backing youngsters. How did his communication help you stay confident?
Surya bhai was amazing throughout. Even after the ducks, his message was very clear: “Play your natural game and don’t worry about the result”. That kind of backing from your captain makes a huge difference. When a leader shows that much trust, it allows you to go out there and express yourself without fear.
Gambhir is known for an intense, straightforward approach. What conversations did you have with him during the difficult phases?
Gauti bhai is very honest in his communication, which I really respect. During the tough phase he told me not to overcomplicate things but stick to the role the team had given me and be brave enough to take the game on. He also reminded me that one good innings can change the momentum for the player and team.
There was a lot of scrutiny after the ducks. Did you have any specific technical discussions with the coaching staff?
Nothing major, but small things about my setup and making sure I was not rushing at the start of the innings. Sometimes in big tournaments you can get a little eager to make an impact early, so it was more about staying balanced and giving myself a few balls to settle.
Were you in touch with Yuvraj? What did he advice when things were not going your way?
I spoke to Yuvi paaji regularly. He’s always been someone I can go to for honest advice. His message was simple: “don’t change who you are as a player”. He told me that aggressive players will have phases like this, but if you keep backing your strengths, runs will come.
Did you change anything in your approach or was it about trusting your game?
It was mostly about trusting my natural game. I didn’t want to go away from the style that got me to this level. The only thing I tried to do was be a bit clearer in my shot selection early on. Once I got through that initial phase, I just played the way I normally do.
Playing in a World Cup at a young age brings huge expectations. How did you deal with that pressure?
You can’t completely avoid that pressure, especially in a country like India where cricket means so much to people. For me, the key was to focus on the team environment and not get too caught up in outside noise. I limited my time on social media and spent more time with teammates and doing things that kept my mind relaxed.
Looking ahead, how do you want to build consistency at international level?
Consistency at this level comes from preparation and clarity about your role. I want to keep improving my game in different conditions and situations. Working on my fitness, game awareness and learning from every series will be important. The aim is to contribute more regularly and help the team win games.
Your failure and success in the World Cup, what kind of player you think it will shape you into?
Experiences like this make you stronger as a player. When you go through highs and lows in such a big tournament, you learn a lot about yourself. Hopefully, it will make me more resilient and mature in how I approach the game. My goal is to take these lessons forward and keep growing as a cricketer.
