{
  "id": 8180406,
  "title": "'Very important for captain and coach to be on your side': Abhishek Sharma on Shubman Gill-Gautam Gambhir backing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/very-important-for-captain-and-coach-to-be-on-your-side-abhishek",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-18T05:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/very-important-captain-coach-side-053000597.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Abhishek Sharma, the prolific Indian batsman, credits captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir for allowing him to express his natural game. The left-hander smashed a record-breaking 30-ball century against Afghanistan in the final T20I in Delhi, scoring 108 off just 34 balls with 11 sixes. This performance helped India post 221/7 and win the match by 127 runs, securing a clean sweep of the three-match series. Abhishek named Player of the Match and Player of the Series after finishing the series with 209 runs. He emphasized the importance of team culture and the support of his captain and coach, stating that these elements enable him to perform at his best and avoid worrying about failures.",
  "summary": "Abhishek Sharma made the most of that freedom on Thursday, smashing a record 30-ball century against Afghanistan in the third and final T20I in Delhi. His 108 off 34 balls, which included 11 sixes, helped India post 221/7 and complete a 3-0 series sweep with a 127-run win.",
  "key_points": [
    "Captain Shreyas Iyer and coach Gautam Gambhir supported Sharma",
    "Sharma scored record-breaking 108 off 34 balls in final T20I",
    "Sharma won Player of the Match and Player of the Series"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Having captain and coach on his side allows Abhishek Sharma to focus on his game without worrying about failures, enabling him to perform at his best under a supportive team culture.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Island Sri Lanka",
        "title": "Abhishek Sharma hits record T20 ton as India beat Afghanistan by 127 runs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/abhishek-sharma-hits-record-t20-ton-as-india-beat-afghanistan-by-127",
        "published": "2026-09-18T03:14:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}