Abhishek Sharma wrote his name in the record book in the fifth and final T20I between India and England that was played on Sunday in Mumbai. Abhishek hammered 135 runs with 13 sixes and 7 fours in just 54 balls to help India post 249/9 and win the match by 150 runs.

The 24-year-old made his debut for India against Zimbabwe in 2024 and scored a duck. But he scored a century in just his second T20I against the same opponents. Since then, he was under pressure to score more after making just one fifty in more than 10 innings he played before the England T20I in Chennai.

He made 79 runs in that match to help India win the match in the chase and now made the record-breaking second-fastest fifty for India in T20Is and the second-fastest hundred in the format for India in just 37 balls.

Abhishek’s father, Raj Kumar Sharma, has credited legendary Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh for shaping his son’s career and said training with him has helped Abhishek immensely.

“Yuvraj Singh has had lots of conversations with him about him taking a few singles. But Abhishek says ‘Paaji, when I see the ball I feel I can hit it for a six or a four every time. And when I can hit a ball for six, why bother running?’ But Yuvraj is very adamant that if he wants to play all three formats, he must start rotating the strike and learn to play as per the situation," Raj Kumar told Indian Express.

According to Abhishek's father, Yuvraj provided him with a workout routine during the lockdown that he now adheres to religiously and given him confidence that he could win matches for India.

He said: “Yuvraj has taught him how to walk. Raat din iske peeche laga rahe. He has always looked after his training. He has called him to Mohali, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, or Mumbai, wherever he was. It was Yuvraj who gave him the confidence that he could win matches for India. He gave him a schedule. Abhishek still follows it. He wakes up at 4. He starts with meditation, yoga, swimming, and the gym, and then batting, bowling, and fielding. This has been his routine for four years."

Abhishek plays local tournaments in the off-season where he tries to execute the shots he has learned in training sessions.

“In these tournaments, he tries and executes what he has learnt in the training. He sends the videos to Yuvraj, who looks at them and gives his feedback. The duo talks every day for an hour at night. What more can I say about Yuvraj? Not only cricket, but he has helped him grow as a person too. He has worked on his communication skills, taught him driving, and takes him to the golf course to play golf," Raj Kumar added.

During his time with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, the former Indian all-rounder encouraged Abhishek to learn from West Indies legend Brian Lara. Lara was SRH's head coach in the 2023 IPL season.

“Yuvi has asked him to note down everything that Lara says. It was Lara who, after seeing his eagerness to hit sixes, took him to a golf course and said, ‘This sport will help in your bat swing.’ And then he continued to play golf with Yuvraj in Chandigarh as well. It has helped him in his game. Lara even told him that ‘Abhishek, you will rule the world. People will come and watch you play. You have the talent to fill the stadium,’" Abhishek’s father added.

Before joining the Indian team in Kolkata for the T20I series on January 19, Abhishek trained with Shikhar Dhawan, who taught him the significance of taking singles.

“Yuvraj called him to Gurgaon before the series. He trained there with Shikhar Dhawan. The idea was to learn how Dhawan plays those exquisite grounded cover drives and square drives. Dhawan explained to him the importance of taking singles. It was a one-week camp with Yuvraj and Dhawan," reveals Raj Kumar Sharma.

(Indian Express inputs)