Sanath Jayasuriya reveals key reason behind Abhishek Sharma's success in Asia Cup 2025, says 'They have given him the license to...'

Sri Lanka's head coach Sanath Jayasuriya recently praised Indian opener Abhishek Sharma for his 'fearless batting' in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. Jayasuriya credited the Indian team management for fostering this approach, emphasising that allowing the young player to play his natural game has been key to his consistent run-scoring in the tournament.

Sanath Jayasuriya hails Abhishek Sharma's fearless batting

Jayasuriya's ultimate praise for the southpaw came after Abhishek struck his third successive half-century on September 26, helping India defeat Sri Lanka in a tense Super Over finish. The Indian opener's form has placed him firmly in the spotlight ahead of the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 final.

When asked during the post-match press conference if he saw echoes of his own playing style in the youngster, the Sri Lankan great affirmed:

"He (Abhishek) is playing his natural game and they (team management) have encouraged him to play his natural game."

After a relatively quiet group stage, Indian opener Abhishek Sharma has truly found his stride, consistently demonstrating his aggressive style of cricket. His cracked a solid 74 against Pakistan, a stellar 75 against Bangladesh, and a cracking 61 against Sri Lanka, which only proves his batting prowess.

Jayasuriya attributed this success to the environment around the player, noting that the complete backing of the Indian coaches has been crucial. This support, Jayasuriya believes, has allowed Abhishek to fully reveal his immense batting potential at the top of the order.

"That's the key because if someone is playing his natural game then we need to encourage him to play his natural game. Whenever he wants to slow down a bit, he knows how to slow down also now. So, after six overs (of powerplay) if he wants to bat for a longer period, he is doing that. So, day by day he is getting (more) runs and he is batting really well. I think, the good thing is the coaching staff has given him the license to play his natural game. That's the key," Jayasuriya concluded.

Abhishek's performance in the continental tournament has been phenomenal overall; he has accumulated 309 runs from six innings at a remarkable strike rate of 204.64. However, India received an injury scare during their hard-fought victory over Sri Lanka, as Abhishek suffered from cramps, raising slight concerns about his fitness heading into the final.