Exclusive: Visualised myself as a finisher watching Yuvraj-Dhoni bat, says SRH's Abhishek Sharma
A quick look at his feed, and you could pass off Abhishek Sharma as just another Instagram model. There's a stream of several of his poses in chic attire, but hidden in them, lie pictures of the 17-year-old rubbing shoulders with some of Indian cricket's best.
A proud 2018 U-19 World Cup winner, who captained the side to the Youth Asia Cup title in 2016, Abhishek's junior career has methodically graduated up the levels.
His soft, squeaky voice might not say it, but he carries a certain swagger that reminds one of a teenaged Yuvraj Singh. There's the same confidence in his own game.
For, not many can nonchalantly launch their first-ever IPL delivery over extra cover for a four.
A left-arm spinner, and a lower middle-order batsman, Abhishek made heads turn with a blazing 46 off 19 balls against RCB on IPL debut last year.
Ahead of IPL 2019, he was swapped from Delhi to Sunrisers Hyderabad in a mid-season switch, and gears up for his second IPL stint, this time with the 'Orange Army'.
Abhishek spoke to Sportskeeda about the unexpected switch to SRH, the Dravid influence, finishing games with the bat and more.
"Always wanted to play for Sunrisers"
"I didn't expect this (switch) first of all. I had a call in the middle that the trade had been made from Hyderabad to Delhi"
"The Sunrisers have been playing really well for the past 4-5 years. I always wanted to play for Hyderabad, really don't know why (chuckles). The move happened last year, so it's quite good".
He's developed an instant liking to the setup, and doesn't hesitate in reaching out to the coaching staff, consisting of Tom Moody, Muttiah Muralitharan and VVS Laxman.
"I am the youngest one, and I get advice from everyone, who tell about their experiences. I am readily going to them and asking questions too. The coaches are legends, and I ask them queries on all aspects of the game".
"Dravid was always punctual"
Abhishek was spotted by Rahul Dravid during the left-arm spinner's stint as a nets bowler at the Delhi Daredevils camp, and later went on to be coached by him at the India U-19 level. The two, 28 years apart in age, managed to forge a lasting rapport.
"I worked with him (Dravid) for two years almost. Towards the end, we were very open with him, we used to talk about everything, share things with him. It was quite fun. Since he has had a lot of experience, we used to ask him a lot of questions about his career, how he used to play and prepare himself before a match".
"He taught me how to manage myself off the field. He was always punctual. I got to learn so much from how disciplined he was".
Under Dravid, the U-19 side clinched the junior World Cup at New Zealand for a record fourth time. Abhishek played all six games for the side.
"Every youngster dreams of lifting the U-19 World and contributing in some way to the team. It's a proud moment for every cricketer.
"We had lost the finals of the 2016 U-19 World Cup, and were determined to win the title when we played in 2018".
Used to watch Yuvi Pa, MSD finish games
"Whenever I had the chance to play with Yuvi paaji (for Punjab), I used to just watch and admire him. I love watching MS Dhoni batting".
Abhishek grew up at a time when the Dhoni-Yuvraj pair was ruling world cricket in the mid-2000s, chasing targets without breaking a sweat. The iconic duo's style proved to be an inspiration for his young, impressionable mind.
"I used to watch Yuvraj and MS Dhoni - they used to bat through a lot of pressure when they were chasing, or when they were out at 50-4, or even if they were taking the innings till the end".
"I used to visualise myself batting there, with the same thing happening, and me taking it to the end and finishing off the innings. I just enjoy playing under pressure".
"Hoping to learn from Nadeem, Shakib"
Along with Abhishek, Shahbaz Nadeem and Vijay Shankar were traded to the Sunrisers, in exchange of Shikhar Dhawan. The youngster aims to renew his mentorship sessions under Nadeem, who's played every IPL season since 2011 for Delhi.
"Nadeem bhai was last year in Delhi (Daredevils) with me. He used to call me to the nets every time he was bowling, and would make me stand next to him. Got to learn a lot from him".
"He would then talk about every ball he was bowling, and used to tell me things when I was bowling".
"This year, there's Shakib also. Will be asking him a lot of questions about bowling and batting. Specifically about how he bowls under pressure".
"Willing to give my best shot"
In his debut game last season, Abhishek showed no nerves, going for his strokes from the get-go. A delectable lofted drive over Tim Southee's head for a six was the highlight of the knock.
It'll be interesting to see where his flamboyance fits in the Sunrisers middle-order. According to him, the team appears in good nick.
"This year, seeing them in the nets, most of the batsmen are in touch, playing pretty well. If a guy likes to play his strokes, and is hitting it in his areas, pretty sure we might see his aggressive batting in the games".
Asked if he's up for the challenge, if tasked with essaying the finisher's role at SRH, Abhishek seems ready, if given a chance.
"I visualise everything, but it's all on that day, and how you deliver. I have been working on that. Hopefully, everything is good like last year, and whenever I get a chance to play, I will make sure I give it my best shot".
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