Abhishek Sharma opened the innings with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in India’s gold medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games 2026.
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (left) and Abhishek Sharma(Photo: IANS)
IND vs WI 2026 1st T20: Team India opener Abhishek Sharma was one of the star’s of his side’s win in the Asian Games 2026 gold medal match against arch-rivals PakistanThe world No2 T20I batter smashed 61 off 28 balls with 7 sixes to set up India’s massive total of 211 runs in the gold medal match in Nisshin on Saturday.
Abhishek had a new opening partner in 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the Asian Games 2026 campaign in Aichi-Nagoya over the last couple of weeksThe Punjab opener revealed what it feels to open the innings with the Rajasthan Royals youngster and the advice that he has shared with his younger partner.
Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Follow the Blues: Gen-Next Abhishek’ ahead of the T20I series against the West Indies, Abhishek Sharma opened up on his conversations with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
“He is a very smart guyHe is not like how we used to behave at 15 or anyone does because he has already been in that cricket setup for 2-3 yearsSo he knows what, where, and how much to practiceI feel gradually these are things he will learn more with experience.
“And what we discuss in the team with each other, all teammates, is how we can make him more comfortableBecause we all know what he has achieved and that he belongs hereSo I also feel like it’s my duty as well, to make him feel that all of us, his elder brothers, are here for himYou just have to enjoy and just give your best and win the games whenever you get the chance,” Abhishek Sharma was quoted as saying by JioStar.
WATCH Abhishek Sharma speak about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi HERE…
“ …” ❤️
#AbhishekSharma opens up about his equation with #VaibhavSooryavanshi and the bond they share beyond the game.
Catch the on
https://t.co/SjngOxmcujWatch him in #INDvWI, 1st T20I TUE, 6th OCT, 6 PM
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 5, 2026
In the Asian Games 2026 semifinal, while Abhishek Sharma failed with the bat, Sooryavanshi came up with a crucial knock of 38 off 21 balls on a difficult surface to batAbhishek, who was retained for Rs 14 crore by Kavya Maran’s Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2026, revealed how he has developed in international cricket.
“I feel, in cricket especially, when I came, I was 24, now I am 26, as a young cricketer you tell yourself that there’s still a lot to achieve, it’s just a startDoing it once, I feel, is still easy, but making that thing a habit and doing it again and again, keeping the process the same, it’s not easy as a playerBut if the atmosphere in the team is such that everyone wants to perform for each other, wants to make India win, wants to dominate, then I feel it becomes a habit and it definitely helps,” Abhishek Sharma said.
On his mindset and having the backing of the Team India support staff, Abhishek Sharma said, “When I started, I thought that I have to play in a way that I can play impactful innings for my teamThat started from my Punjab team in domestic cricket and we won the domestic T20 competition in 2024From there, I feel, a mindset developed that I don’t have to chase milestones, because that’s not in your handsWhat’s in your hands is how much impact you can makeThat is how I want to play, no matter what opposition we are playingAs an individual, I never had this urge that I should achieve this, achieve that.
“I had only one goal that I have to win trophiesI feel that you need a lot of support from the team, the management, the coaches, the captain, because they know how you playI feel they have helped me quite a lot, the entire team, not just the support staff, even the players as well, senior playersSo 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 hereSo, I really enjoy that when I talk with Vaibhav or with other young players,” he said.
