Getting away from it all: How cricketer Abhishek Sharma is adjusting to his fame

Sharma’s cricket story began early. His father, Raj Kumar Sharma, played for Punjab. By the time Abhishek Sharma was born, his father had already set up a cricket academy in Amritsar. Naturally, he was Sharma’s first coach. “I started accompanying him to the academy when I was about five or six,” recalls Sharma. “Everything I saw at home was about cricket – his trophies, his game. Everything was about cricket.”

He made the team at an under-12 tournament. “That’s when I realised I could hit and throw,” he says. “I scored my first century when I was nine; that’s probably when I knew I was good.”

Sharma’s first moment in the spotlight was when he scored a century on his Under-19 debut for Punjab in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy. “There wasn’t much media attention because domestic age-group cricket doesn’t get much attention. But it was a great feeling,” he recalls. He had already been the highest run-scorer in an Under-16 tournament. “So I was definitely full of confidence and that helped me believe that I belong at that level.”

Sharma, an all-rounder, led India to victory in the 2016 U-19 Asia Cup and played in the 2018 U-19 World Cup. He signed with the Delhi Daredevils, now Delhi Capitals, to play in the IPL in 2018 and moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019. He is now in Zimbabwe as part of the Indian T20I squad to play a five-match series. His best friend, Shubman Gill, is the captain.

Even now, he’s not like other IPL stars. Sharma loves social media and regularly posts about his family, his sport and himself for his 1.2 million Instagram followers. He’s seen fame destroy other sporting careers and is looking for ways to deal with pressure and public opinion. It helps that cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Brian Lara are mentors. “They helped me understand my game better, supported me when I needed support and taught me how to deal with a dry spell,” says Sharma.

How does the first taste of fame feel? He describes it in 11 questions:

What does an average day after the IPL look like?

Right after the IPL, we had the Punjab T20 League for the whole of May. Now I’m flying to Zimbabwe. So it’s been pretty much everything in one go. On days off, I try to spend time with my family if I can make it to Amritsar. But training never stops. I hardly take days off. My routine is simple because I play cricket all year round. Whenever I have time, I want to spend it with my father. He is my first coach. If I want to do anything cricket-related, he is the person I want to go to first. And then of course Yuvraj Singh.

The phone rings more often now, doesn’t it?

That’s 100% true! Even before this happened, Yuvraj Singh made sure I was ready for all the attention. I barely have time for my family and I don’t want to be distracted during the game season. I’m happy and grateful for all the excitement but I need to stay focused. So I put my phone on do not disturb hahahaha!

How many hours a day do you practice now?

On a day off, I try to do three training sessions: gym, cricket and running. At the moment I play all the time, but when I have time off, I try to get back to training like I used to when there’s no tournament. Training is about three to four hours a day, practice is about two hours, so I’m still pretty busy.

What new things have you learned this year?

Meditation. I’m still not consistent, but it has helped me tremendously to deal with the pressure. As an athlete, you’re often in high-pressure situations and meditation has helped me to block out the outside noise.

What did you say no to in the last week?

A few interviews! Yuvi Paaji told me to be careful who I talk to. Anything that comes up that is even a little bit controversial creates a negative atmosphere around me, which we don’t want. But my parents have been very busy for the last week, giving interviews from morning to night. I’m very happy to leave that to them.

You seem very confident. Have you always been this confident?

No, no! I’ve been trying this for a few months. But it’s going well.

Do you lie awake afraid that someone might find out something embarrassing about you and make it public?

It’s more that I’m careful not to do anything stupid. I always want to be myself, but I’m so cautious these days. It’s not hard to be careful about how I react to people. But that’s what matters.

No, but I just started keeping a diary and writing a little. That helps. And meditation.

Everyone is watching everything. Do you have a stylist?

I have been interested in fashion since I was 16. Back then, I couldn’t afford the things I can afford today. Now, if I like something, I buy it. I like shoes. When I was in Delhi recently, I went sneaker shopping. But no. I don’t have a personal stylist. I like to style myself.

What do you do most often on social media?

I’m watching a lot of reels right now. I’m a recent vegetarian so I get a lot of reels about vegetarian food. My mom always wanted me to give up meat. It’s been difficult but we’ve made it this far.

What are you most afraid of at the moment?

Fear? I consciously stopped thinking about fear eight or nine months ago. I tried to think positively because I believe that everything that happens happens for a reason. But I see my family getting older… that might be a fear.

From HT Brunch, July 6, 2024

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