“He still wants to find a way to get into the test team”- Brian Lara lauds ‘Yuvraj influenced’ Abhishek Sharma

Brian Lara said that Abhishek Sharma is a very special player.

Former West Indies captain and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) coach Brian Lara has revealed that Abhishek Sharma has a desire to play test cricket for Indian Cricket Team. Lara also heaped praises on the youngster, calling him a very special player.

Abhishek made his international debut for India in 2024 and has cemented his place as an opener in the T20I team within an year. Known for his aggressive batting style, the left-handed batter has smacked two centuries and five half-centuries in the shortest format. Across 24 games so far, he has scored 849 runs at a stunning strike rate of 196.08.

Recently, the 25-year-old grabbed a lot of limelight for his batting during Asia Cup 2025. He slammed three consecutive half-centuries in the tournament, finishing with 314 runs in seven games at an average of 44.86 and a strike rate of 200.0. He was awarded Player of the Tournament after finishing as the highest run-scorer.

Abhishek Sharma wants to play test cricket for India, reveals Brian Lara

Speaking at CEAT Cricket Awards show in Mumbai, Lara said Abhishek is a very special player and is influenced by his mentor Yuvraj Singh. He also revealed that Abhishek often calls him and has conveyed his desire to play test cricket for India.

“I know Abhishek from my time at SRH. I was there during the Covid years. He is an amazing young player, and I think he is something very special. Yuvraj Singh has had a big influence on him – his bat speed, the way he hits the ball, the way he plays through the line. You can see the Yuvraj effect in him,” he said.

“He gives me a call once in a while, and what stands out is that despite his success in T20s, he still wants to find a way to get into the Test team, which is great. For someone like that to think so big is very special. I don’t have a soft spot per se, but I’ve grown very fond of him. It’s great to see how much he has improved and how far he has come. He’s taken his game to another level,” Lara added.

Meanwhile, following his heroics in Asia Cup 2025, Abhishek is gearing up for the T20I series against Australia Down Under later this month. He has been named in India’s T20I squad, which will be led by Suryakumar Yadav. India will face Australia in five T20Is from October 29 to November 8.

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