There is an old video that pops up on the reels these days, of Yuvraj Singh training with Abhishek Sharma with the latter seen smashing the ball.ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEOYuvraj pipes up, “single bhi le lo, Maharaj”. But more big hits follow and he says, “Tu na sudhri, bas chhakke maari jaayi, thale na kheli (you won’t change, just keep hitting sixes and not keep it on the ground”).There is this lovely indulgence in the voice that speaks much about the relationship between the two, and it’s a line that’s often said about Abhishek, the international batsman, these days. Elsewhere, Yuvraj has said, “He reminds me a lot of myself, some of the pull shots and back-foot hits. I felt I was very much like him”.Simon Helmot, Sunrisers Hyderabad assistant coach who has seen Abhishek’s growth from 2019 to 2025 and also worked with Yuvraj, is the perfect person to explain the opener’s game. Sunrisers Hyderabad support staff Muthiah Muralidaran, Simon Helmot and Daniel Vettori in picture. (Photo: BCCI)“I had the benefit of working with Yuvraj for a couple of years, especially in 2016. And one thing I was always impressed with Yuvraj was whenever I threw balls to him, how little he would try and still hit them for four or six. He was always about making sure he presented a full bat face, and was hitting the ball cleanly. Often, you’d throw balls to Yuvraj, and he would just be playing at what I’d call a tempo 1 or a tempo 2. A drop and run or a punch. In a game situation, Yuvraj could clear the rope as easily as anybody,” Helmot tells The Indian Express.The Australian says that Abhishek too practises in that manner. Sure, when in power-hitting mode, he can go all out just to iron out any flaws and get into the groove, but Helmot is talking about a regular net day.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Yuvraj Singh (@yuvisofficial)“I see a similarity with Abhi. He doesn’t try to overhit or overplay in training. I just see that he wants to hit the ball cleanly. Consistently. Putting himself in good positions so he can play any particular delivery that’s put in front of him. That’s where I see a similarity between Yuvraj and Abhi in approach.”Story continues below this adOf all the big hitting he has done against pacers in the Asia Cup, Abhishek’s batting against spin, especially his ability to hit off the back-foot, is worth a look. When Saim Ayub or another spinner pushed a ball flat and skidding off a length, the left-hander would lean back, somehow hold his balance, and conjure a thrilling on-the-up hit over the off-side. Allied with the skill to play on both sides of the wicket, he has been unstoppable.Helmot brings up a change Abhishek made last year that has helped in that aspect.“It’s more about his stance. He’s adjusted and slightly… He’s become more relaxed at the crease, not as tense and rigid. He’s able to access both sides of the ground. He’s able to get in really good positions. Doesn’t over-complicate the way in which he plays. He’s quite still at the point of impact,” he says.“He plays the ball quite late. He presents a wonderful bat face. His head is in a beautiful, steady position. He watches the ball intently and can get himself in easy positions to be able to access various sides of the ground … It’s more mental for Abhi. He’s always been touted with lots of ability and skill, and now we’re seeing that start to flourish. That comes with mental toughness, a greater understanding of your own game.”Story continues below this adAbhishek has also shown that he judges bowlers and doesn’t fall prey to predetermination too much. It was evident in how he has treated Shaheen Shah Afridi thus far. In the first game, he charged down the track first ball to smash a four down the ground. In the second match, he didn’t fall to the bowler’s bluff and duly swatted the first-ball bouncer into the fine-leg stands.Abhishek Sharma with former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh. (Screengrab: Instagram/Yuvraj Singh)Helmot isn’t surprised. “He’s always aware of the opposition and trains on the basis of who he might be up against. And also considers the conditions in which he’s playing. He doesn’t overhit (in nets before games). He hits the right number of balls, especially for a T20 match. He just wants to make sure he’s in a really positive, clear frame of mind. It depends on where he’s at and what work he’s been doing and what part of the season it is. He’s very intelligent in his preparation, a smart operator.”In match-scenarios, the 25-year-old turns into a big-hitting beast. “He wants to hit boundaries. He wants to take control of the contest against any bowler, pace or spin. Very clear-minded, watches the ball incredibly hard. And then plays with a full bat face, whether he’s playing vertically or horizontally. So, his mindset is attacking,” Helmot says, adding this bit about Abhishek’s training of late. “… it’s not all crash and bash at training. He plays organised cricket shots. Looking to hit boundaries, but still looking to get off strike as well.”Yuvraj would be happy.