West Indies legend Brian Lara spends hours talking to Abhishek Sharma on phone, is paving the way for his Test debut | Cricket
The impact of Yuvraj Singh on Abhishek Sharma’s career is well documented, but did you know that another batting legend, considered the greatest left-handed batsman of all time, is equally invested in the 25-year-old? If not, here’s some breaking news. Brian Charles Lara, one of the greatest ever, has taken a special interest in Abhishek’s game and constantly keeps in touch with the youngster.
Brian Lara, right, is constantly, at Abhishek Sharma’s ears(AFP Images)
Moreover, Lara is indirectly and slowly paving the way for Abhishek’s Test debut. Already an integral part of India’s T20I plans, having played 30 matches for his team and set to make his maiden World Cup appearance in two months’ time, Abhishek has yet to earn his ODI cap, but if he manages to take Lara’s advice seriously and comes true on it, the day isn’t far when Abhishek makes his stunning entry into Test cricket. How, you ask? Because, despite offering tips on how to improve his game, Lara is telling Abhishek to keep working on his red-ball game.
“Abhishek had his initial success in red ball cricket, and that’s what made him shine in white ball cricket. And Lara has also shared how he sees him as an all-format player. Lara speaks for hours with him over the phone, and he instructs him to play with the same style, same dominance, even against the red ball,” Abhishek’s father Raj Kumar Sharma, told The Indian Express.
Abhishek has yet to put a foot wrong since his India debut last year. With Sanju Samson, he formed a dominating opening pair for India in 2024, and although Samson was later pushed down in the middle order, Abhishek kept going great guns with another partner in Shubman Gill. He was the leading scorer in the Asia Cup 2025 in September, with 314 runs, which India won for a record-extending ninth time by beating Pakistan in the final.
With Lara around, Abhishek could become unstoppable
Abhishek has thus far scored 1029 runs for India in T20Is at an average of 36.75 and strike-rate of 188.46, including two centuries and six fifties. He smashed his maiden ton in just his second match for India, and followed it with a rollicking hundred against England at the beginning of this year. With Lara’s guidance, Abhishek promises to scale unprecedented heights in Indian cricket. With teammates Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh, he has already won a World Cup – the Under-19 title in 2018 – and given the form he’s in and the fact that India are heavy favourites for the T20 World Cup starting February 7, Abhishek can sense another ICC silverware coming his way.
