New Delhi [India], October 2 : India's explosive top-order batter Abhishek Sharma shared a heartfelt tale about how T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav assured him that he would continue to back him even if he returned with 15 consecutive ducks to emphasise the value he holds within the team.
After making his debut against Zimbabwe and impressing with his daredevil approach last year, Abhishek struggled to keep the momentum going in his favour. After his stint in Zimbabwe, Abhishek was sent to open on home soil against Bangladesh. The three-match affair ended with 35 runs across his name at an underwhelming average barely above 11.
In the aftermath of India orchestrating a whitewash against Bangladesh, Abhishek revealed the message from Suryakumar was simple. He would continue to back him even if he failed on a couple of more occasions. Captain's message was a turning point in Abhishek's career as he flicked the switch and moved on from a restrictive mindset to going all guns blazing.
"When I got out early against Bangladesh and other teams for 3-4 innings, Surya told me that I am so important as a player that even though I score zero for the next 15 innings, he would get me to play the 16th match; he was ready to give me that in writing. It was really big for me that this was the message from the captain," Abhishek said on the Breakfast with Champions show.
"I realised that if I wanted to go more levels higher and make a name for myself, I would have to do something different, which in my case is, better and more ball striking. I had stopped myself from doing that for a long time because you are under pressure to save your wicket, play till the end. I decided to remove that thing from my head, which I had been doing for the past 4 years. I needed to trust myself. Even if I get out early, I have to back myself throughout the season," he added.
During his on-field exploits, Abhishek did the bulk of the scoring during India's unbeaten run to the Asia Cup title. With 314 runs at 44.86 in seven appearances, the left-handed batter finished the tournament as the highest run-getter.