India's T20I opener Abhishek Sharma has established himself as an essential star for the Indian team in a short amount of time, and he performs what perhaps no other batter on the squad can with his blitzkrieg at the top of the batting order.
However, instructor Yuvraj Singh has been impressed by more than simply his striking. The former Indian cricket player praised Abhishek's leadership development based on his observations on the pitch, particularly when his pupil was playing alonside 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
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Abhishek has made strides, but he hasn't yet established himself in the Indian ODI team.
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ALSO READ: Yuvraj Singh's Big Statement On Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan And Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's ODI Chances
Despite the progress that Abhishek has made, he is yet to break into the Indian ODI team, a fact that continues to baffle Yuvraj.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Yuvraj made it clear that genuine leadership starts long before anyone carries an official title. "Well, it's too early to say whether he has the makings of a captain, but I feel he has all the qualities of a leader.
"He added and said that "I think he encourages the younger guys in state cricket as well. I love the way he encourages Sooryavanshi, puts his hand on his shoulder and motivates him. I think that's a good sign of a senior leader, whatever you want to call it."
When discussing what it takes to eventually lead the national team, Yuvraj stressed the importance of testing oneself at the franchise level first.
"If you want to captain India one day, I think it's important to captain your IPL side. That gives you the kind of confidence you need to lead India," he explained. At the same time, he reassured fans that captaincy isn't the only benchmark of a great career, adding, "I'm sure time will tell whether he is capable of doing it. If it's in his destiny, I'm sure he'll get the opportunity. If not, then so be it. But I'm sure he'll finish as a great white-ball player, whether he becomes captain or not."
Turning his attention to squad selection and ODI inclusion, Yuvraj questioned what more a batter in form can do to knock down the selector's door.
"Whether he has scored 35, 100 or 31, 100, the point is that he has been performing consistently in white-ball cricket for a very long time. What more does he need to do to get into the ODI squad, I don't know. Maybe he needs to contribute more with his bowling and fielding. But that will only happen if he gets an opportunity to play," Yuvraj stated, highlighting the simple truth that multi-dimensional skills only develop with actual game time.
Yuvraj emphasised the significance of testing oneself at the franchise level first while talking about what it takes to eventually captain the national squad.
"There are always areas to improve, and I think unless you give a player a chance, where is he going to showcase his talent? I understand that the situation is difficult right now because there is so much competition for places in the squad, along with some big names. But look at Sooryavanshi. He was brilliant and made his own place in the T20 squad. If you feel that Abhishek is performing brilliantly at the moment, then somewhere you have to make a place for him to play 50-over cricket until the World Cup," he concluded, offering a clear blueprint for how India should harness its finest young talent.
The 44-year-old also advised the management to support players who are now putting on excellent performances, acknowledging how challenging it is to break into a lineup full of well-known players.
ALSO READ: Yuvraj Singh's Special Message For Abhishek Sharma After 113-Run Blitz
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