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Abhishek Sharma has claimed that when he went home after receiving his maiden international call-up for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, all his family members were already involved in interviews. He added that the scene gave him a lifetime memory.
The comments came in a BCCI video documenting the young team's travel from India to the African nation. Abhishek, who shone for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2024, also said that Shubman Gill, his Punjab teammate and the traveling squad's captain, was the first to call him when the news broke.
"Shubman was the first to call me as soon as my name came out. I got a lot of calls and love. It was a big thing for me. When I went home I saw that everyone was already giving interviews! I hadn't even come into the picture and all my family members were giving interviews (laughs). I think that was one moment I'll always remember," he said.
"I just had one dream from Day 1 of professional cricket - I have to play for India. [I knew] the first call-up would be very special. That's where my journey would start. I knew if I kept working hard, I'd get my chance. But I didn't know it'll be in Zimbabwe or outside India," Abhishek added.
Abhishek was one of the best performers in IPL 2024, scoring 484 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 204 without playing more than 30 balls in an innings throughout the tournament. His fast starts were key to SRH's runners-up finish.
India call-up is slowly sinking in, says Tushar Deshpande
Another top performer in the tournament who got a call-up for the Zimbabwe series is Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Tushar Deshpande, who picked up 17 wickets in 13 games at an average of 24.94.
He said in the same video:
"It's slowly sinking in that I am traveling with the Indian team. It's a dream come true for me. The firsts are always special, we all say. It's the same with me because playing for the country is a very special thing... Traveling with teammates is important -- getting to know them, getting to know the atmosphere. The most important for me is the fun we have during travel."
The five-T20I rubber begins on Saturday, July 6, in Harare.
