During the Champions Trophy 2025, legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram met India’s young batter Abhishek Sharma after India’s victory over Pakistan. In a viral video, Akram praised Sharma’s impressive performance, saying, “Amazing innings… Keep your head down and keep performing.” Initially not recognizing him, Akram learned about Sharma’s recent success, including a remarkable 37-ball century against England. He believes Sharma has a bright future and likened his talent to that of explosive batsman Shahid Afridi. Akram advised Sharma to focus on his game and emphasized the importance of longevity in his career, suggesting he could play for another 15-20 years.
Abhishek Sharma (L) and Wasim Akram© X (Twitter)
The legendary Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram recently crossed paths with India’s emerging star Abhishek Sharma during the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025. In the aftermath of India’s victory over Pakistan in the Group A clash, a video surfaced showing Akram applauding the young player. “Amazing innings. I watched that innings. Keep it up. This is just the beginning… Stay focused and keep delivering. All the best,” Akram shared in the video. He later reflected on the encounter and admitted that he initially didn’t recognize Abhishek, but once introduced, he remembered who he was and had encouraging words for the batsman who scored a magnificent century in the series against England.
“You see, I met him in Dubai. I was in the DP World Box. At first, I didn’t recognize him. This young lad approached me and introduced himself as ‘I am Abhishek Sharma’. I replied saying, ‘Ah, the Abhishek who hammered England’,” Akram mentioned on Ten Sports.
“I told him, ‘well done, beta’. He’s a very good-looking young man. I’ve seen some clips of his batting and I believe he has a bright future ahead. I gave him just one piece of advice: this is merely the start; think of playing for your country for another 15-20 years,” he elaborated.
Akram highlighted the astonishing 37-ball century scored by Abhishek in the series against England and even drew comparisons to the explosive Shahid Afridi.
“With the kind of talent he possesses, he’s also a superb fielder. What a player and what an innings! A 37-ball hundred! I had heard of Boom Boom Afridi, and now we have this,” he remarked.
Wasim Akram added, “I have seen his innings, and I consider him an exceptional hard-hitting batsman. He simply needs to maintain his focus on the game.”
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