TimesofIndia.com in Ahmedabad: On Saturday, most of the people's eyes were fixed on the net. Abhishek Sharma He was batting during India's training session on the eve of the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand. Facing a mix of throwdown specialists and net bowlers, Abhishek batted for nearly 30 minutes and was kept under close watch by batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and the head coach. Gautam Gambhir. There was a taste of off-spin and plenty of inside-out hits, which became cleaner as they settled in at the crease.
Abhishek's father and childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, was stationed far away from the action, but he had the best chance to see his son go through the paces for the last time before the big night. The father was not worried and kept tilting his neck in the direction where the ball had hit. Every cordial relation was greeted with assured consent. Unbeknownst to his son, the father, who was his biggest cheerleader, supporter and critic, was silently present to support him during the toughest phase of his career.
Abhishek Sharma (left) walks back after meeting his father Rajkumar Sharma at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (Photo courtesy: Sahil Malhotra)
“I am watching the net after a long time, tomorrow everything will be good, the team will also win the World Cup. (I am seeing their net after a very long time. Tomorrow everything will be good and the team will win the World Cup),'' he quipped.“I'm sitting there,” he said, pointing to a hospitality box above, “but the real fun is watching the matches from here. I watched all his early days of cricket from near the boundary ropes, it was fun,” said the father.Without his glasses, he could not watch the proceedings as closely as he wanted, but the sound of the shots was enough to bring a smile to his face. When Abhishek completed his hit, coach Gambhir called him and the two had a long conversation for about twenty minutes. It was an animated pep talk, highlighted by fingers pointing to different parts of the field and plenty of reassurance.
Abhishek Sharma (left) talking to head coach Gautam Gambhir after his stint at the nets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (Photo courtesy: Sahil Malhotra)
Father Rajkumar watched the conversation and as soon as the conversation ended, the net bowlers and spectators surrounded Abhishek with requests for selfies and autographs. He obliged them all and the father allowed his son the necessary space before walking towards him.“I will tell him that I have come. (laughing) [Let me tell him that I am here],” He said.Father and son met and had a brief conversation, mostly about cricket and batting, before more “Abhishek sir, Abhishek sir” requests interrupted the moment.Abhishek requested a support staff member to take his luggage to the dressing room and the freed left-hander made sure he signed every piece of paper that came through the security fence.
Abhishek Sharma speaks to his father Rajkumar Sharma after India's nest session on the eve of the T20 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (Photo courtesy: Sahil Malhotra)
It has been a tough tournament for the world No. 1, as she is yet to fire on all cylinders and has struggled against off-spin. Teams have cracked his code and he scored his first World Cup run in his fourth innings after being out for a duck three times. He had to be hospitalized due to a stomach infection, but to no avail and since then it has been a struggle for him to return to a healthy life. The batsman who destroyed the opposition team in the matches before the tournament has become a walking wicket for the opponents. All they have to do is deploy an off-spinner. Even a part-time person will do this.After scoring 89 runs in eight matches, the youngster will have to be fresh with renewed caution and forget whatever has happened so far. For some batsmen, it is about getting two sweet hits before the situation returns to normal. Abhishek belongs to that school of batting and doesn't need to look too far back for inspiration. In the game against Zimbabwe, the opener tried to bide his time in the middle and was helped by the lack of spin in the powerplay, but his patience also paid off.
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“Supplication (Prayer),'' was the word the Father used repeatedly as he met several greeters near the sightscreen. He also had a brief interaction with ICC President Jay Shah, who was inspecting preparations for the big final at the Narendra Modi Stadium along with other officials from the global cricket body.As the team returned to the dressing room and the field was cleared for Sunday's concert, father Prince walked off the premises with a prayer that his son would return to the path of dominance as he watched from the third level hospitality box.
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