Indian opener Abhishek Sharma recently discussed his debut against Zimbabwe, noting that his mentor Yuvraj Singh was oddly cheerful even when Abhishek got out for a duck in the opening game. That first match ended in a 13-run defeat for the Men in Blue, but the 23-year-old recovered brilliantly in the next encounter, smashing a maiden century off just 47 balls to secure a 100-run victory for India.
In a video released by the BCCI, Abhishek mentioned that he found it strange how happy Yuvraj was despite his scoreless debut, though he suspects it was a way to keep him motivated. He gave a huge amount of credit to Yuvraj for his guidance, explaining that the former star has spent two to three years meticulously shaping him both as a cricketer and as a person off the pitch.
Yuvraj expressed his pride in Abhishek's achievement, insisting that he earned the milestone and that this is just the tip of the iceberg. For his part, Abhishek said he simply found his rhythm and wanted to play freely. He also mentioned that captain Ruturaj Gaikwad gave him similar advice: to stop overthinking the delivery and simply hit the ball according to his instincts.
Abhishek also gave a special shout-out to Shubman Gill for lending him his bat at just the right moment, which he felt was crucial for both his own confidence and the team's success. He joked that this is a long-standing tradition dating back to their U-14 days, noting that he always seems to play better when using Shubman's gear.