Secrets of Abhishek Sharma: Help from Yuvraj, Brian Lara, Travis Head; playing golf to perfect bat swing, and 4 am mornings | Cricket News

The answers to that question involve his guru Yuvraj Singh, West Indian cricket legend Brian Lara, Australia’s Travis Head, golf, meditation and mornings that start at 4 am!

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We break down all those secrets one by one. First the golf story.

As The Indian Express had revealed in February this year, Abhishek was introduced to golf by Brian Lara when they were at the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“Yuvi asked Abhishek to note down everything that Lara says. It was Lara who, after seeing his eagerness to hit sixes, took him to a golf course and said ‘This sport will help in your bat swing.’ And then he continued to play golf with Yuvraj in Chandigarh as well. It has helped him in his game,” Abhishek’s father Raj Kumar Sharma had told The Indian Express in February.

Yuvraj has been the guiding light for Abhishek’s career. As Raj Kumar Sharma noted, “Yuvraj has taught him how to walk (in the sport). Raat din iske peeche laga rahe (He would spend morning and nights behind improving him). He has always looked after Abhishek’s training. He has called him to Mohali, Chandigarh, Gurgaon or Mumbai, wherever he was. It was Yuvraj, who gave him the confidence that he could win matches for India,” Abhishek’s father had told Express.

Abhishek Sharma with former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh. (Screengrab: Instagram/Yuvraj Singh)

Playing golf has translated into a more lethal bat swing. But Abhishek has also changed his grip and worked on an open shoulder stance, which has helped him dominate the leg side.

Recently in an interview with The Indian Express, Simon Helmot, Sunrisers Hyderabad assistant coach who has seen Abhishek’s growth from 2019 to 2025, and has also worked with Yuvraj spilled the beans on what Abhishek is like in training sessions.

“It’s more about his stance. He’s adjusted and slightly… He’s become more relaxed at the crease, not as tense and rigid. He’s able to access both sides of the ground. He’s able to get in really good positions. Doesn’t over-complicate the way in which he plays. He’s quite still at the point of impact,” he said earlier this month.

“He plays the ball quite late. He presents a wonderful bat face. His head is in a beautiful, steady position. He watches the ball intently and can get himself in easy positions to be able to access various sides of the ground … It’s more mental for Abhi. He’s always been touted with lots of ability and skill, and now we’re seeing that start to flourish. That comes with mental toughness, a greater understanding of your own game.”

4 am days, yoga and meditation

Abhishek’s days start as early as 4 am, because his guru Yuvraj asked him to do so.

“Yuvraj gave him a schedule. Abhishek still follows it. He wakes up at 4. He starts with meditation, yoga, swimming, gym, and then batting, bowling and fielding. This has been his routine for four-five years,” Raj Kumar had revealed.

Yuvraj and Lara aside, Abhishek has also learnt from Australia’s Travis Head and Shikhar Dhawan.

Before the series against England at home, he spent a week in Gurgaon with former India opener Shikhar Dhawan to finetune his cover drives and square drives. When Abhishek and Head were in the same team at Sunrisers Hyderabad, they trained together and were always plotting the downfall of opposition bowling attacks.

But there is still one aspect that guru Yuvraj Singh would like to see more of from Abhishek. Last year, the former India all-rounder had posted a video to wish Abhishek on his birthday last September.

In it he ribs the youngster for not taking enough singles in the nets and always trying to hit the ball out of the park.

Happy birthday sir Abhishek 🙏🏻 🎂 hope you take as many singles this year as many as you knock out of the park 🤪 Keep putting in the hard work! loads of love and wishes for a great year ahead! ❤️ @IamAbhiSharma4 pic.twitter.com/Y56tQ2jGHk

— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) September 4, 2024

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“Single bhi le lo Maharaj (Take a single also),” Yuvi can be heard saying only half-sternly. The video ends with Yuvraj saying: “Tu na sudhri bas, chakke maari jaaye, thalle na kheli (You are not going to listen… you are only hitting sixes, try and hit along the ground also).”

For India’s sake in the final today, fans would hope Abhishek Sharma deals only in sixes.