Kings XI Punjab host Delhi Daredevils at Mohali on Day 2 of the Indian Premier League 2018. It is a north Indian derby. Abhishek Sharma from Amritsar is one of the many U-19 stars who would participate in the upcoming season of IPL, and could be a trump card for Delhi and could do what Mayank Markande did yesterday for Mumbai Indians. At the age of 17, he already is a World Cup winner. The southpaw sure packs a punch, contributing with the bat and chipping in with the ball as well. This would be Sharma’s first IPL and he would be playing for Delhi Daredevils, a team that has not tasted a lot of success in the cash-rich league.
Sharma hails from Amritsar which is also home to the iconic Golden Temple, surrounded by the sacred Amrit Sarovar tank (lake). There are quite a few cricket academies in Amritsar, among them are Amandeep Cricket Academy, Dashmesh Cricket Academy others.
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Abhishek Sharma
Sharma’s shot to fame
He shone in the Vijay Merchant (U-16) trophy, helping Punjab to two titles and three finals in the three years he was in the team. In the following year, he played in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), where he represented Alwarpet CC. That is when he got spotted and picked up by the senior state team.
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He made his first-class debut for Punjab in 2017. He hit 94 off 205 in his debut against Himachal Pradesh at Dharamsala, even though he batted at Number 8. In four matches he played last year for Punjab, Abhishek amassed 202 runs to his name at a healthy average of 33.66. With the ball, Abhishek scalped 6 wickets with best figures of 4 for 136.
Though his 16-year-old self may not have known back then, these feats played up in his favour during the 2018 IPL Auctions. But every feat of his dwarfs as compared to his World Cup triumph.
When he turned out for Punjab
The World Cup triumph
After making his first-class debut for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy last year, he impressed the national selection committee which got him on the New Zealand-bound flight for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup (CWC).
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During the recently concluded U-19 CWC, he chipped in with the ball and formed a great partnership with Anukul Roy who also happens to be a left-arm spinner. He also stitched a very crucial partnership with Shubman Gill against Bangladesh when India was in a tricky spot. Sharma scored 50 to help India seal the semi-final berth, in an epic face-off against Pakistan.
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Sharma recently revealed that his favourite cricketers are Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He could honestly get a few games for Daredevils, owing to the fact that he is an all-rounder. He could be used to stifle the batsmen in the middle-overs.
