Abhishek Sharma reveals Yuvraj Singh’s tips behind record 108 vs AFG

Abhishek Sharma revealed the advice he got from mentor Yuvraj Singh after the second T20I against Afghanistan. The news came before Abhishek scored a record century in the series finale, showing that even his most destructive instincts sometimes come with a reminder to keep things simple.

India complete the T20I series 3-0 with a 127-run win in New Delhi, he smashed 108 off just 34 balls with Abhishek. Speaking to the broadcasters after his winning performance, the editorial opened up about Yuvraj and the lesson learned from it.

IND vs AFG, 3rd T20I: MAIN | SCORECARD

“And in the last match, I only got a message from him that I shouldn’t force all the balls. Specifically in these conditions, if I take one or two singles in between, it’s not in my, you know, slot. I can take one too,” Abhishek said.

“But obviously the sir always wants me to play long and I always think that when I start the team like that, of course when we’re on the winning side, I always think about that,” he added.

Yuvraj’s advice came after Abhishek had already made an explosive start to the series, scoring 82 off 32 balls in the opening T20I and followed it up with 39 in the second. In the finale, he then produced the biggest statement of the series, he reached his hundred in just 30 balls before finishing with 108 off 34.

YUVRAJ’S MESSAGE, ABHISHEK’S REPLY

Abhishek entered the Afghanistan series with some pressure after going seven innings without a fifty, including four single-figure scores. He also competed with Sanju Samson and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for a spot at the top of India’s T20I order.

The response could hardly have been louder. His 229 runs in three matches made him the leading run-scorer of the series, while his 30-ball hundred broke Rohit Sharma’s record for the fastest T20I century by an Indian. It was also his third T20I hundred and second hundred in less than 40 balls.

The knocking in Delhi was particularly ruthless, with Abhishek hitting nine fours and 11 sixes. He attacked Afghanistan from the start, reducing their tempo and was even on hand to take on Rashid Khan in the powerplay before reaching his hundred against Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

A NEW LEVEL FOR ABHISHEK

There is an interesting balance emerging in Abhishek’s batting. His natural game is built around dismantling the attack, but Yuvraj’s message was about recognizing when a single can be just as valuable as another big hit.

Abhishek has also made progress against spin, an area that was targeted by opposition teams earlier in the year. His willingness to attack Rashid and other Afghan spinners showed the confidence he has built up in extending his reach.

With India heading to the Asian Games next, Abhishek enters the tournament with 229 runs from his last three T20Is and plenty of momentum. But for now, the message from Yuvraj also seems to have come through: not every ball has to disappear into the stands.

– The end

Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

18 Sep 2026 08:18 IST