Updated 19 March 2026 at 11:40 IST

Abhishek Sharma Asked to Take Leaf Out of Virat Kohli's Book by Ex-RCB Legend Ahead of IPL 2026: 'Keep Working at...'

IPL 2026: Former South African legend AB De Villiers has given sound advise to out-of-form Abhishek Sharma ahead of the upcoming IPL season.

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Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma | Image: IPL

IPL 2026: Former South African legend AB De Villiers has given sound advise to out-of-form Abhishek Sharma ahead of the upcoming IPL season. The former RCB legend reckons Abhishek should take a leaf out of Virat Kohli's book. ABD asked Abhishek to keep working on his game like Kohli did during his lean phase. 

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‘Keep working on your own game’

AB De Villiers said on Star Sports: "When you are feeling the pressure externally, you just have to keep working on your own game. That's one of the things I saw in Virat in all those years. He would constantly analyze his own game, and that's where Abhishek is at now."

Abhishek is expected to play a crucial role for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the upcoming IPL season. Batting at the top of the order with Travis Head, Abhishek would be tasked to get his side off to flying starts. 

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He added: "Don't suffocate because of the pressure. Instead, embrace it and love it. Go back to the nets and be that child again, who loves the game and has passion for it, to figure out new things about yourself. If he has that kind of mindset, he is going to be just fine."

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RCB Take on SRH

In the season opener, RCB take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy stadium. The match takes place on March 28 and the stadium is expected to be packed to the rafters. Spotlight would be on Abhishek and he would hope he lives up to the expectations of his fans. 
 

Published By : Ankit Banerjee

Published On: 19 March 2026 at 11:36 IST