S9E1 | Abhishek Sharma | Breakfast with Champions ft. Gaurav Kapur | POP UPI

Tell me, what is the most irritating or annoying thing about Yuvi?

About Yuvi?

It's the first time he's thinking before playing the ball.

He's like this on the front foot.

He asked the baller the best. I think that Yuvi…

His body language has changed. His hands are like this.

What did you ask? What did you do? I think, brother… His body language has changed. His hands are like this. Okay? Like this.

What did he ask? What should I do?

I'll get stuck.

Sometimes, I feel he gets moody. I don't know if it's because of his mood or if you can joke with him. He gets serious. I feel I have to talk to him first. Then I see if he's in a good mood.

Then I talk to talk first and then see if he is in a good mood. Then I talk to him. It's a matter of relaxation.

So you have to see a couple of balls on the pitch? To know how the pitch is playing today.

I have to see the ball, how the atmosphere is today. What's going on today. Then I talk to him. I feel there can be something that can't be done. I understand him. This is great. We were talking about Yogi and the siren went off. Yes, look. Stop talking.

He's ending it here.

He must have played it from Canada. He's saying, you're talking about me. The siren went off. Underneath the explosive batter who gives nightmares to bowlers is just a simple Amritsar boy living his dream. And on today's menu are coaches, Orange Army, Guddi Udana and Kulche.

So let's meet the destroyer-in-chief Abhishek Sharma on PUFF UPI Presents Breakfast With Champions. Wardrobe partner Peter England.

There is one person who has never been caught by the age group by misbehaving. That is Shubhman.

Really?

I will tell you an incident. We were installing under 16 ZCA at Dharamshala. So, boys from Himachal, Delhi, Punjab, you can imagine, we met them. They were under 16.

They were all naughty and mischievous.

Yes, yes. So, our hotel was only 500 meters away from the stadium. So, we used to go there by bus. The driver was stopping the songs and and we were supposed to play Punjabi songs. He said, no, I want to play, stop it. There was a debate, or some incident happened. And the one who screamed the most was Shubman.

The matter reached the coaches, and all the drivers came together. That your kids have misbehaved. Call them like this. So, the coaches asked me to tell them which boys were there. And you'll agree that there were maximum four or five boys. I was there, Prabh was there. Shubman was the fifth player.

I said, there are four of them and Shubman is standing at the last. Imagine, the coach was saying, this was also there, this was also there. And he said, no, this wasn't there. This was there, this was there. He called Shubman, this was also there.

The driver said, no, this wasn't there. I said, this wasn't there. This wasn't there. And we called Char outside and told him to home. Okay. So, I was feeling sad at first. Then I was thinking, how is he doing this? The one who started this,

the one because of whom we are standing here, he had a talent in it. He can change his expression. If he is laughing, his expression can become calm. And this doesn't happen in any Punjabi.

Yes.

It doesn't happen in any Punjabi. Yes. Not in any Punjabi. Right. We have a hangover. We have a sympathy. We have a face of sympathy. We had that face the day we were standing.

Yes.

My younger brother Siddharth, he had this quality.

Okay.

We both used to do the same thing.

Yes.

During the time of studies, mom used to come home, my mom used to open the book and sit like this. I used to get scolded for reading for 4 hours. I used to get scolded for starting the book when I was in trouble.

Yes, yes.

So, she used to read it first and then tell me to read it. She used to tell me to read it and not to disturb her. I used to say, I read it 10 seconds before. He was sitting on my lap. He's like a saint. He's been meditating for 4 hours in the Rishi-Muni mountains.

This is a natural quality. It can't be made. Don't fall on the pool.

Like I had.

You know that.

I used to get so scared sometimes

if it was a district match or a tournament match… By taking a lift, 30, 40, 60, 70 kms… If they are driving a car, I can't sit in the front seat with them.

In the boot?

I used to sit in the back seat so that I don't touch them. They used to say, what are you doing? I used to get a little…

You'd get a slap.

I used to get a little scared. You'd get a slap. I used to get a slap.

Does your dad coach the other players too?

Dad, once… You know Rahul Trivati?

Yes.

He caught Rahul Trivati. He said, why do you keep hitting? This shot is behind. You have so many good shots. I said, why do you keep… Imagine, he was getting it for the first time.

He has a language banner. So, he doesn't talk to foreigners. I am afraid of that. You know, foreigners enjoy themselves after a match. They don't even want to talk about cricket. So, I thought, okay, I won't talk to them. I'll talk to an Indian. I've talked to everyone.

I'll talk to them.

I want to come to your younger days more. Your father was a selector at that time?

He played for Punjab for so many years. And after that, when I was four or five years old, he had an academy.

Okay.

His own academy. After 3 pm, the nets were started. The district nets were started. I used to come there at 11-12 in the morning. We used to practice till 3 in the morning. My personal practice.

Dad used to take me from the bank. He was in the sports quota.

He used to come late.

I see.

He used to come at 10.30. And I used to come at 11.30.

Great. You just have to do the ajri.

Yes, just the ground came, all the bowlers used to run away.

I see.

He made me so interested that I took a bat at home. Yes, correct used to get my sisters, mom and dad to play with me. I used to wear a thapi. Thapi is the one you wear on your head.

I used to wear that at that time.

I used to play with that everywhere.

And at home, I used to get dad's trophies, bats, ball… when the World Cup was won in India, They enjoy it. The drums are playing. I have to play cricket.

Flying a kite. I should have a home on Lodi. I still get rest on Lodi, I think I should get a rest for 3-4 days, I will reach there. And last year I had an incident, I reached there, they told me to go there and get the billing done for extra luggage. I went to get it done, came back and closed the counter. On the day of Lodi, I said, Madam, what are you saying? I had a day off.

Yeah.

I had an early morning flight. Around 6 o'clock. I didn't have any other flight after that. Then look at my dedication. I said, let's go to Delhi from the other terminal. I took a flight from the other terminal and I told them to give me my luggage.

They said, it's okay, I don't have time to fight.

I can't fight.

Today is the day to cut my kite, so I won't cut you today. But I will cut you tomorrow.

I took a flight from Chandigarh to the other terminal. I landed at 12.15. I called my friend's car from the airport. I told him that I had to reach Chandigarh in a minute. I didn't have a flight. I had to go by road. It takes four hours.

I reached Amritsar in 3.5 hours. I climbed on the roof at 3.5 or 4. I went straight to my old house with all my luggage. All my childhood friends, from the society, the colony, the kids... They all got together and flew kites. It was fun.

We'll have to talk about the Orange Army because obviously, all the fans of the Orange Army will make us orange in the comments.

No, no.

So, there are two or three issues with the Orange Army.

Okay. One is our Travis Head. Okay are two or three issues with orange RB. Okay.

One is Travis Head.

Okay? The name Travis Sheikh. Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Dan Vittori. I'll tell you about all three. I say I couldn't have found a better player than them at that time. Think about it. We have a batting meeting. All the batsmen are standing there. Vittori said, it's up to you guys if you want to discuss any bowler. Everyone said no.

She'll do it in a day or two. Then Dan said, Petty, you want to say something? Petty said, we've been batsmen for five, six years. What do you want to hit? Let's hit, hit, hit, hit. We'll hit, hit, hit.

That's it. Meeting's over. Wow! Even if it's 50-6, I don't want the 7th batsman to be out of the game under pressure or with a doubt. I want an all-out at 100. But I don't want 160-170 safe scores. He says, let's back each other.

Any bowler, hit him from the front. Any first or second bowler, hit him. Me and Dan are with you, guys. But I want this in the brand of cricket. Me and Dan are with you guys.

But I want the brand of cricket that the team is scared of us.

And the bowlers are given only one meeting.

Bowlers are told that batsmen are doing their job.

If they score 250, we just have to score 249. Yeah, whenever I asked Travis what he wanted to do, he'd say one thing. He'd say, look at this filter. He used to play in the test and get out.

In the 24th. I thought it would be amazing.

Then Dan asked me,

I said, man,

What was written on the letter? Just imagine, you have already manifested.

He called me home. He made me sit at home and… I told him about this. He called me home. He sat me at home and got me to write a diary. He told me to start writing. I had to visualise it. I said, I'll do it. I had to write that I'm doing it. That I'm playing for India. I'm India's best player.

I've won so many matches. I had to write this. I've made so many endorsements. Amazing, man. And that day, I don't know, I lost a 4-5 match but I was getting so much love from the Orange Army that we'll win, Abhishek bhai, Abhishek Anna. So I thought, if there's such a fan base,

then at least the guy should do something. So I woke up in the morning, I do a lot of journaling in the morning. In the matches. I wrote a cheat instead of journaling. I thought I'd be seen. So I wrote, this one is for Orange Army. I put it in the gym. But I didn't remember it in 50. Otherwise, I could have written it in 50.

I kept playing. Then, when I scored 100, I celebrated it after scoring 100. Then I remembered it. I wrote it. I thought, this is the perfect moment of my life.

Wow.

Then I checked two matches with Suraj in MI. I said, I don't feel like playing in this match.

You are checking?

Yes.

He is the captain of T20. If he searches for you, you will have to give him.

No, when I joined the Indian team, I got out in three or four innings in the first two or three matches of the Bangladesh series. He said, if I score 15-0, I'll play the 16th match. He said, keep this in mind. I said, sure?

He said, keep it in mind.

He said, keep it in mind.

He said, I'll keep this in mind.

And I said, it was a big deal. The captain said, you score 15, 20 or 0, you'll play. I understood one thing, if I want to go to the Indian team, I'll have to do something. And that was striking.

Yes. I thought I'll stop doing that. Because there's pressure. You have to take it long. Because there's pressure. You have to go long. I've got over it. I've been doing this for four years.

Yeah.

So I have to do this on my own. I have to have faith. Even if I get out, it's okay. But I'll back myself.

Yeah.

Throughout the season. Okay, do you remember the first time when you got a big cheque?

When you thought, I have got the money. I will buy something for my parents.

You will ask any cricketer in India. How can they know? IPL. They will know. They will know.

They will know.

They will know. They will know. They'll buy something for my parents.

IPL. Bell Lab. Bell Lab was worth 55 lakhs. I thought I could buy a house anywhere in Amritsar.

I asked for the rent for the first year and the second year.

I asked for 55, 55. I said, this is 1 crore. I was playing domestic. I said, it's 1.5 crore. Let's buy a house somewhere nice. They said, how did you know? Where's the money? I said, where's the money?

I came from IPL. So, I didn't know what money was going on with the money, what was the rate there. Then he explained to me that this is tax, this is how much rate is there. This is not like that.

Dad told you the price of flour and lentils.

Yes, then he said, okay, let's take it. We have learnt somewhere. He said, zero the money in your account.

Yes, that's right.

Then I thought, I understood it late. But I have to wanted my family to enjoy. Dad has always been busy all his life.

Yes.

First in cricket, then in the bank, then this and that. Mom couldn't go out much, couldn't enjoy. So I wanted my mom to do it.

Earlier, when a man hit a 10 century, when Chiku hit 5-10 centuries, everyone said, oh, master, Sachin. And he said, don't compare. Nowadays, it's less. A person can hit 100.

You're saying 100 more, I'm saying 600.

Yes, we have to make headlines. But then I want to ask you, from a young person's point of view.

Okay?

And they've been talking about you like this for a while. So, doesn't it happen that you have to tell yourself that don't take it seriously. People are making a scene. Don't let it go to your head. But you are a human being, you must want it a little.

I feel that brother UV had already prepared me that all these things will happen.

Yes.

So, I wasn't shocked that it happened. Or I was very happy all of a sudden. But I felt that one thing was fixed, now on to the next one.

I remember a game of SRH, you were batting very well. He was staying at my place for a few days and his renovation was going on. He came in and he was saying, Abhishek, he hit 30-32 in 12 balls. How did he got out of the 30-32 ball.

I told him that he just turned the ball and made it stand. He starts nodding his head. He's not a man, he's a girl. He's not a girl, he's a man. Then we came out to have dinner. He was talking on the phone.

A key shot. I told him that he called Abhishek. The match is going on. He said, he's talking to your father.

So, they're discussing it behind my back.

Okay?

This is three years ago.

But I was telling you the story to tell you how invested he is in you. How special is it to find a mentor like that whose investment is so deep and emotional?

No, I've said this everywhere, I'm very grateful. We were setting up a camp in their house during the lockdown. Me, Shumman, Prabh, Simran and Molpreet. So, basically, I wanted it.

Yeah.

So, we were going on a flight together. I told him, if he's free, we can, we can camp for a week or 10 days. He agreed. To be very honest, I was struggling a bit. I wasn't consistent even in IPL. Even in the team, I wasn't in the 11th.

Shubman was already playing for India. I myself feel that there's a delay. You know, the age group. You... I was the captain there. And I was a performer too. So, there was a delay.

When brother called me home... Shumban and I were having lunch with brother. Brother told me directly that neither I am preparing you for the state nor for the IPL. Nor I am preparing you to play for India.'m not getting you ready to play for India.

I'm getting you ready to win matches for India. Keep this in mind.

Wow.

And he said, in the next two to three years, max. I've idolized him for so long.

Yeah.

If Mohan is saying this, he believes in me so much, I said, he's a bit too much. After the camp,. I thought, this is something. After the camp, I felt that my goal is something else. The one I am getting ready for, the one I am getting fired for, that is something else. And I will do that. And 2024 was a very changing moment for me.

Yeah. So, when we started the camp… Yeah, in Delhi, there were 6-7 of you. It was a proper program. We used to sit at home and have discussions. We used to get papers.

Wow!

Yes, these are your strengths. Report card. Yes, yes. I felt that he was like a mentor, a coach. I felt that I had seen him earlier. But the players, if you talk to the players now, they will be very helped.

That's amazing.

Very amazing.

He told me that he was doing a camp with you boys. But I just thought it would be nice to have a net. No, no. I didn't know that after hours was going on

and report cards were being made and analytics were happening. They will sit at home and watch videos and write notes. Then he'll make a screenshot of the video and say... ...this was before and this is now. These are the proper things. And no one knows this.

No one thinks in such detail that it's UB. And then for 5 hours, we'll be batting, bowling, fielding... ...and he'll be standing there with the wicket.

Wow.

We all stayed in one place. We had two floors.

Yes.

4BHK, 4BHK. Oh, nice.

Like a home setup.

Yes, a home setup.

There was a cook. He would cook according to our diet.

Correct. And that too with your own… Because your age group is very interesting. The Punjab team is a very interesting team. Someone was getting coffee for us, right?

Yes.

Did you get coffee?

Coffee?

Yes, sir.

Come, come. Don't be scared. Come. He wants coffee with oat milk. And I want iced Americano. Strong iced Americano. No sugar, no milk, no oat milk, no goat milk.

Nothing.

Thank you.

We used to have almond milk in our childhood.

The normal milk with almonds. We used to add sweets too.

Cardamom, sugar, saffron.

We call it Dudh Dali Bottle in Punjab. Whose bottle? Dudh Dali Botal.

When you come to Amritsar to eat, you become Ambar Sir.

A person comes walking and rolls. It becomes a ball.

And that too a pushing ball. It will fall.

No.

What did you like? Chole Bhature or Kulcha?

How do I choose? This is a question that will be asked. Do you like it on the right or left?

I like both.

Kulcha is my favourite. I like Amritsari Kulcha more than Chole Bhature. I eat two Kulchas there. Ashok's kulcha is like a Palawan's kulcha. In Palawan's kulcha, you have to park your car outside and take a rickshaw. That is made with desi ghee.

Tell us a little so that we don't get burnt.

It's stuffed. You can make it with potatoes, onions, cauliflower. And everything is open there. You can see everything that is being made.

And do the tandoor people take it out?

Tandoor? They, we use a tandoor and we use our hands. It's nothing like that. This is made from a hard tandoor. Oh, wow!

Inside, there's potatoes, onions, chaat masala, green chillies,

red chickpeas, butter on top. White stuff.

You'll get chhole. Oh man, I sold chhole. What are you doing?

And then, if you don't have lassi, like the one from Ahuja.

That is such a thick lassi, that if you take it out of the glass, it will stand on its own.

Yes, brother. But they have added so much cream on top. You can't drink it. You have to eat it first.

I have seen such big glasses of lassi that a small kid can jump in and drink it.

I think I'll have to go with you. Let's go and do the rest of the work. We've had all the kulchas.

The kulchas of a wrestler.

Wrestlers, Shokies, all kulchas. That's why Ujja is getting famous. Ujja, see, our lassi category is free.

For life. I am so happy to see your success. And I know you're the number one batter already. But you still have a lot to do. You've already broken so many records. I can't even count them. If you write on the screen, it'll be full.

Fill it up! Now remove it.

Just keep making more and more. And just keep on making more.

Thank you, brother.

And now Amritsar will be left.

Yes, brother.

We'll have to make lassi. Thank you for watching the episode. Thank you for enjoying the episode. I know you enjoyed it. And there's one more thing that you will enjoy, which is the POP UPI app. You can download it with a special BWC link which is in the description. And you get an assured cashback on your first UPI transaction and tons of other benefits. Assured POP coins on every transaction which get you cashbacks and vouchers from a whole host of your favorite brands.

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