Gautam Gambhir pulled off a Gary Kirsten: Yuvraj Singh on how Abhishek Sharma became India’s new destructive weapon

Yuvraj Singh compares his career to Abhishek Sharma’s, highlighting how team management support fosters aggressive batting.

Former Indian cricketer, Yuvraj Singh, has drawn parallels between his own career trajectory and the emergence of young left-handed batter, Abhishek Sharma, attributing the latter’s aggressive batting style to the crucial backing he receives from team management.

Abhishek Sharma plays a shot over the boundary line for six-runs during the third Twenty20 cricket international match.(AFP)

In an interview with PTI, the 2011 World Cup hero emphasised that fearless cricket stems from institutional support rather than individual bravado alone. Yuvraj believes the current leadership under head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav has created an environment similar to the one that shaped his own career under Gary Kirsten’s guidance.

The foundation of fearless cricket

“I think the fearlessness also comes with support from the coach and the captain,” Yuvraj explained. “When the coach and captain allow you to go and play your game fearlessly, it allows you to express yourself, and that’s where I come from as well. When Gary Kirsten was the coach, he would always tell me that if you go and play your game and if you play the way you do, you will put India in a winning position.”

Yuvraj continued, “Hence the confidence that Gautam and Suryakumar have given him, if you go and play your game, you will put India in a winning position six out of ten times, and that is what he is doing.”

A philosophy built on acceptance

The ideology represents more than just statistical probability; it signals organisational acceptance of calculated risk. Yuvraj’s articulation of this principle effectively grants permission for failure as an inherent component of aggressive batting. For a powerplay specialist like Abhishek, this backing eliminates the psychological burden that often constrains naturally attacking players.

Yuvraj’s reference to the Kirsten era is particularly significant. India’s dominant white-ball period under Kirsten’s coaching was characterised by this philosophy. According to Yuvraj, Gambhir and Suryakumar are now implementing the same approach with Abhishek, clearly communicating that his attacking intent is not optional but essential to the team’s strategy.

Impact over consistency

The endorsement carries substantial credibility given Yuvraj’s own career. He consistently prioritised match-winning impact over statistical consistency, favouring aggressive intent over conservative accumulation. In Abhishek Sharma, he recognises a similar mindset, but one now supported by a management structure that understands how to nurture such talent from the outset.

This institutional evolution represents a significant shift in Indian cricket’s approach to player development, where natural game expression is encouraged rather than constrained by traditional concerns about failure rates.