T20 World Cup final: A father holds a quiet vigil as Abhishek Sharma prepares for his biggest night

TimesofIndia.com in Ahmedabad: On Saturday, most eyes were on the Internet Abhishek Sharma India bats during practice on the eve of the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand. Facing a combination of bowling specialists and bowlers, Abhishek batted for nearly 30 minutes, with batting coach Sitamshu Kotak and head coach keeping a close eye on Gautam Gambhir. Off-spin is the flavor, and there’s a lot of inside-out hitting that gets cleaner when he gets into the crease.

Abhishek’s father and childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, was stationed far away from the field but had the best vantage point to watch his son finish the game one last time before the big night. The father was unfazed and kept his neck stretched out in the direction where the ball was hit. Every sweet connection is met with a nod of approval. Unbeknownst to his son, his father, his biggest cheerleader, supporter and critic, was quietly present and offering support during the most difficult phase of his career.

“I watched the net for a long time, everything will be fine tomorrow and the team will win the World Cup. (I saw his net after a long time. Everything will be fine tomorrow 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 game from here. I watched his early cricket from near the boundary rope and it was fun,” the father added.Without his glasses, he couldn’t get as close a look at the proceedings as he’d hoped, but the sound of the gunfire was enough to put a smile on his face. When Abhishek finished batting, Coach Gambhir called him out and the two chatted for nearly twenty minutes. It was an energetic pep talk, highlighted by pointing fingers to different parts of the ground and lots of reassurance.

Father Rajkumar watched the conversation, and after it was over, netballers and onlookers besieged Abhishek, asking for selfies and autographs. He complied with everyone’s request and the father gave his son the space he needed and then walked towards him.“Please tell me I’m coming. (laugh) [Let me tell him that I am here],” he said.The father and son met and had a brief chat, mostly about cricket and batting, before more “Abhishek sir, Abhishek sir” requests punctuated the moment.Abhishek asked a support staff member to take his gear to the dressing room and the released southpaw made sure he signed every piece of paper that came through the security fence.

It was a tough match for the world number one as he was not at full strength yet and struggled with issues off the ball. The team had cracked his code and he scored his first run in the World Cup after three balls in the fourth over. A stomach infection that forced him to be hospitalized didn’t help, and getting back to a smooth lifestyle has been a struggle ever since. The batsmen who had beaten the opposition in the previous matches had become walking wickets for the opponents. All they need to do is field a non-spinner. Even a part-time job is fine.After scoring 89 points in eight games, the youngster needed a new guard and forget everything that had happened so far. For some hitters, it’s important to get two sweet hits before getting back to normal. Abhishek belongs to that school of batting technique and he doesn’t need to look back for too long for inspiration. Against Zimbabwe, the opener tried to spend time in midfield and while the lack of spin in the power play was helpful, his patience was rewarded.

“two (Pray),” were the words the father used repeatedly as he met several greeters near the screen. He also had a brief interaction with International Cricket Federation president Jay Shah, who was at the Narendra Modi Stadium to inspect preparations for the mega finals with other officials from the global cricket body.As the team returned to the dressing room and the field was cleared for Sunday’s musical performance, father Rajkumar left the field and prayed that his son would return to dominance as he watched from the third-tier hospitality box.