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Legendary Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh played a pivotal role in shaping the cricketing journey of rising star Abhishek Sharma, according to Yuvraj’s father, Yograj Singh. Abhishek, now a centrally contracted player under BCCI’s Grade C list for the 2024–25 season, owes much of his transformation to Yuvraj’s tough love and guidance.
Speaking to News18 Punjabi, Yograj revealed that Yuvraj spotted Abhishek’s potential early on during age-group tournaments organized by the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA). Despite being listed by PCA coaches as a bowler, Yuvraj dug deeper and discovered Abhishek had already scored 24 centuries at the time.
“When we asked PCA for Abhishek Sharma’s stats, they said he was a bowler. But Yuvi said, ‘Just look at his records.’ When we checked, Abhishek had 24 hundreds already,” Yograj recalled. “Yuvi was furious—‘Why are you giving wrong information? This kid is a batter!’”
Yuvraj, impressed by Abhishek’s talent and frustrated by the oversight, took it upon himself to mentor the youngster. But Abhishek’s path wasn’t without challenges. According to Yograj, the young cricketer had a flamboyant lifestyle that his father was struggling to manage—until Yuvraj stepped in.
“Late-night parties, girlfriends… Yuvraj told his father, ‘Lock him.’ I remember Yuvi yelling, ‘It’s 9 pm, go to bed. I’m coming!’ Then he took the phone and handed it back, and told his dad to wake Abhishek up at 5 am,” Yograj narrated, highlighting how Yuvraj instilled discipline in Abhishek’s daily routine.
The veteran actor and former cricketer said Yuvraj approached Abhishek’s development like a diamond polisher, sharpening raw talent into brilliance. He compared the mentorship to another instance—when Yuvraj guided Shubman Gill in a similar fashion.
“This is exactly what happened with Shubman Gill. When a diamond lands in the hands of another diamond, it becomes a Kohinoor,” Yograj said. “If a player like Abhishek had fallen into the wrong hands, he might have been ruined. Many young players in India have seen their careers end like that.”
Today, Abhishek Sharma is seen as one of Indian cricket’s promising talents, with Yuvraj Singh’s mentorship seen as a defining factor in his rise—not just as a player, but as a disciplined professional.
