Abhishek Sharma’s father had one message before the World Cup final. His son listened, then forgot everything.

“I did not have any major conversations with him after the earlier matches,” he said. “But I told him — Down te up time tan harek player da aunda hai. Ghabrana nahi te jaldi hi eh time vi nikal jauga. Each player sees ups and downs. You don’t have to tremble. This time will also pass.”

He reminded his son of one other thing. You are the world number one T20 batsman. Your abilities have only got you here.

Then he stepped back and waited.

* * *

In the final, Abhishek Sharma hit the fastest fifty in a World Cup knockout match. Twenty-one balls. Forty-eight of his runs came against pacers. Against spinners — the bowlers who had undone him four times in the tournament — he scored three runs from five balls and got out to Rachin Ravindra.

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Since his junior days, Abhishek had been watching three batsmen play spinners — Tendulkar, then Yuvraj, then Rohit. On TV, on his cellphone, whenever he had free time. Yuvraj knew this. Perhaps that’s why the calls felt natural.

Abhishek Sharma with his family and teammate Ishan Kishan after India won T20 World Cup 2026 trophy. (CREDIT: Special Arrangement)

Yuvraj Singh had been calling almost daily through the difficult stretch. He and Abhishek would talk batting, talk technique, talk spinners and pacers and plans. Gambhir spoke to him too — the head coach, a left-handed opener himself, who understood the phase from the inside.

“Abhishek has never feared spinners throughout his career,” Sharma Sr said. “Sometimes it’s a matter of seconds to decide the shot and there were very little technical flaws in his technique. He is never shy of taking guidance.”

Abhishek listened to all of them. And then walked out in the final and used none of it consciously — just played.

* * *

The father knows how the celebration will go when Abhishek returns to Amritsar.

“We are blessed to be from the city founded by Guru Ram Das ji, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs,” Sharma Sr said. Abhishek will visit the Golden Temple. Gurudwara Baba Deep Singh Shaheed. The holy shrines of Amritsar.

Three ducks. Then the fastest fifty in a World Cup knockout.

Ghabrana nahi. Eh time vi nikal jauga.

He didn’t have to tremble. The time passed.