‘Since Under-12 days, dad has been sitting next to screen’:Abhishek Sharma reveals his father gives him instructions from the stands

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Abhishek Sharma scored an unbeaten 135 runs against Delhi Capitals in the match played on Tuesday in IPL 2026, leading his team to a one-sided victory. After this innings, he appeared emotional and credited his father for his success. After the match, he requested the broadcasters and said, “Next time, I want the broadcasters to also place a camera towards my father. It would be really interesting to see his reactions. It’s amazing that whenever I look at him, he is looking at me and giving me instructions. This helps me a lot. Performing in front of parents and friends is always special.” Training since Under-12 days: ‘I see my father even from the non-striker’s end’ Abhishek said that his father has been with him since the early days of his cricketing journey. He said, “To be honest, I don’t know how it happens, but since my Under-12 days, my dad has always been sitting near the screen or the sight screen. In Hyderabad, too, he was sitting there. Whenever I am at the non-striker’s end, he tells me with gestures how to play. This continues even today.” Even in the match against Delhi, his father was sitting near the sight screen, watching his son make history. SRH’s atmosphere and captain’s support: ‘Fortune changed since 2024’ Abhishek credited the team’s atmosphere for his aggressive batting. He said, “When you get full backup from the captain and coach, you can play freely. The atmosphere created at Sunrisers in 2024 proved to be a game-changer for me.” Regarding planning, he said that the pitch was a bit slow initially, so we re-planned, and the goal was to entertain the fans. The secret of the celebration: ‘L’ gesture and love for the stadium Abhishek often celebrates in matches by making an ‘L’ gesture. On this, he said, ‘I have been doing this ‘L’ celebration for a long time. It’s my way of showing my love for the stadium and the fans. They support us in every match and even at the hotel, so I also want to show them love from my side.’ He also mentioned that this celebration was due to the happiness that he managed to bat until the 20th over. Inning dedicated to sick sister: SRH scored 242 runs Abhishek dedicated this innings to his family and especially to his sister, who could not come to the stadium to watch the match due to illness. Apart from his 135 runs, other batsmen contributed, helping SRH score 242 runs for 2 wickets in 20 overs. In response, the Delhi Capitals team fell short by 47 runs in the stipulated overs.