Abhishek Sharma credits team support for fearless, impact-driven approach

India opener Abhishek Sharma says support from teammates, coaches and management has helped him adopt an aggressive, impact-driven approach. The 26-year-old said he has never chased individual milestones, focusing instead on contributing to teams and winning trophies.

New Delhi: Abhishek Sharma has credited the freedom provided by his teammates and coaches for allowing him to embrace an aggressive, impact-driven approach, saying his ambition has never been centred on personal milestones but on helping India and his teams win trophies.

The 26-year-old, who was part of India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup-winning side, discussed his playing philosophy ahead of the new home season against the West Indies. Abhishek traced the development of his mindset to his domestic cricket days, when he began placing greater emphasis on influencing matches rather than chasing individual numbers.

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“When I started, I thought that I have to play in a way that I can play impactful innings for my team. That started from my Punjab team in domestic cricket and we won the domestic T20 competition in 2024. From there, I feel, a mindset developed that I don’t have to chase milestones, because that’s not in your hands. What’s in your hands is how much impact you can make.

“That is how I want to play, no matter what opposition we are playing. As an individual, I never had this urge that I should achieve this, achieve that. I had only one goal that I have to win trophies. I feel that you need a lot of support from the team, the management, the coaches, the captain, because they know how you play.

“I feel they have helped me quite a lot, the entire team, not just the support staff, even the players as well, senior players. So now, like it has happened for me when I was new, the new players should also get that freedom, they should feel that they belong here. So, I really enjoy that when I talk with Vaibhav or with other young players,” Abhishek told JioStar.

That backing, according to Abhishek, has been crucial in allowing him to play without being constrained by the pressure of reaching specific statistical targets.