Yuvraj Singh sees a leader and an ODI batter in Abhishek Sharma
The India legend, who introduced Abhishek to golf, believes the opener has the leadership qualities to take on greater responsibility and deserves a place in the ODI squad
Whether golf can really help a cricketer's batting skills is a matter of interpretation, particularly because the ball is stationary in the game of greens and fairways, while it is necessarily in motion in the game of bat and ball. That said, cricketers are known to possess the hand-eye coordination that golf also demands, and the sport could further augment that skill, apart from helping in swing movement, power-hitting, ball sense and competitive drive. Abhishek Sharma may be a classic example.
Cricketers are known to take to golf like a fish to water, more so overseas players than Indians, but Abhishek has already developed a liking for the sport. He is often spotted on the fairways with his guru, Yuvraj Singh, who, it is said, introduced his disciple to the game during the Covid pandemic. Abhishek has since taken to golf seriously and is often seen at golf courses of Chandigarh and New Delhi with Yuvraj.
Both also strolled on the green expanses even in exotic cities and locations. Earlier this summer, they went to play a few rounds during visits to Sardinia, an island in Italy, and Marrakech, in Morocco, before that. So taken is Abhishek with swinging his club around that he would even play the golf regularly during the IPL, joining his overseas teammates, who rarely miss an opportunity to hit the course, whether in Hyderabad or at other IPL venues where SRH play their away games.
His golfing skills may well be reflected in his batting — in his huge bat swing, power-hitting and timing. With experience, he is also committing fewer mistakes and often gets the ball to attain both altitude and distance, a skill that golfers often seek to develop through the swing of the club: both height and distance.
“Golf helps with the bat swing and head position a lot. The top hand, which in Abhishek’s case is the left, gets extended, and that helps with the swing. It also helps with temperament. In golf, you tend to make mistakes, but you also learn to make course corrections. So it can help minimise mistakes and build concentration, which should come in handy in cricket too,” says Kiran More, a habitual golfer, explaining how the sport could be helping Abhishek.
“I have introduced him to golf so that he can unwind from cricket,” says Yuvraj Singh, an avid golfer himself, of course. But Yuvraj, who was in Mumbai for a promotional event on Friday, addressed the two elephants in the room — when and whether Abhishek would be ready for the ODIs and whether he was prepared to take on a leadership role.
Abhishek is being particularly credited with mentoring Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the teenager who is yet to cement his place in the national side despite his abundance of talent. The chemistry between Abhishek and Sooryavanshi, on display during the third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington recently, made for a pleasing sight.
The two put on 133 for the first wicket in 7.1 overs with Abhishek hammering a breathtaking century and Sooryavanshi hammering a typically belligerent 45 off 19 balls. There was no sign of insecurity in Abhishek in the way he treated and encouraged Sooryavanshi. On another occasion, it was Abhishek, who was first to comfort Sooryavanshi after he had missed a century (97 off 29 balls) in the IPL Eliminator earlier this year even though his own franchise was at the receiving end of his sensational batting.
“Well, it’s too early to say whether he has the makings of a captain, but I feel he has all the qualities of a leader. I think he encourages the younger guys in state cricket as well. I love the way he encourages Sooryavanshi, puts his hand on his shoulder and motivates him. I think that’s a good sign of a senior leader, whatever you want to call it,” Yuvraj tells Cricbuzz.
“If you want to captain India one day, I think it’s important to captain your IPL side. That gives you the kind of confidence you need to lead India. I’m sure time will tell whether he is capable of doing it. If it’s in his destiny, I’m sure he’ll get the opportunity. If not, then so be it. But I’m sure he’ll finish as a great white-ball player, whether he becomes captain or not.”
Yuvraj also called for Abhishek’s inclusion in the ODI set-up, something one understands, even India head coach Gautam Gambhir wants. “Whether he has scored 35, 100 or 31, 100, the point is that he has been performing consistently in white-ball cricket for a very long time. What more he needs to do to get into the ODI squad, I don't know. Maybe he needs to contribute more with his bowling and fielding. But that will only happen if he gets an opportunity to play.
“There are always areas to improve, and I think unless you give a player a chance, where is he going to showcase his talent? I understand that the situation is difficult right now because there is so much competition for places in the squad, along with some big names. But look at Sooryavanshi. He was brilliant and made his own place in the T20 squad. If you feel that Abhishek is performing brilliantly at the moment, then somewhere you have to make a place for him to play 50-over cricket until the World Cup.”
