Abhishek Sharma’s father Raj Kumar Sharma said that West Indies legend Brian Lara has taken personal interest in his son and has spoken to him over the phone for long periods of time to give him advice. Sharma said Lara believes a young player’s early success in red-ball cricket is important and he sees him as a real prospect across all formats.
Lara is closely involved in Abhishek’s career development and regularly guides him to bigger challenges. Abhishek is already a part of India’s T20I setup with 30 matches under his belt and is preparing for his maiden World Cup. However, the left-handed batsman is still waiting for a chance in the ODI team.
Abhishek Sharma’s father Brian Lara talks to him on the phone for hours.
Raj Kumar Sharma said that Brian Lara believes that Abhishek Sharma can play Test cricket. The West Indies great has been mentoring the youngster closely, often over long phone calls discussing technique, mentality and how to apply his natural aggressive style in the red-ball format.
Abhishek’s father Raj Kumar Sharma told The Indian Express, “Abhishek had early success in red-ball cricket and that made him shine in white-ball cricket. And Lara has also shared how he sees him as an all-format player. Lara talks to him on the phone for hours and he instructs him to play with the same style, the same dominance, against the red ball as well.”
Yuvraj Singh will pick up the phone and scold – Abhishek Sharma’s father
Abhishek Sharma’s father said that Yuvraj Singh has been a guru who has been guiding and improving the young batsman even after his international debut.
Rajkumar said that Yuvraj does not hesitate to call out Abhishek when he sees a mistake and the youngster still has a lot of respect for his mentor. He said that it has played a big role in shaping Abhishek’s development as a cricketer.
Rajkumar said, “Even now, when he feels that Abhishek has made a mistake, he picks up the phone and calls and scolds him. And Abhishek is also scared of him.”
Abhishek Sharma emerges as one of India’s most exciting young batsmen
Since making his international debut, Abhishek Sharma has become one of India’s most exciting young players. He first impressed while opening with Sanju Samson and later continued that momentum with Shubman Gill.
The left-handed batsman played a key role in India’s 2025 Asia Cup win. Sharma finished as the leading run-getter with 314 runs at an average of 44.86 and a strike rate of 200, helping India win another title.
He has scored over 1,000 runs at an average of 36.75 and an impressive strike rate of 188.47, including two centuries. Abhishek scored a century in his second match. Considering their current form and India’s status as favorites for the T20 World Cup, they may not have to wait long for their next big trophy.
Also read: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma may be removed from BCCI’s central contract before the T20 World Cup
