Dig at Pakistan? Abhishek Sharma Clarifies ‘L’ Celebration After Historic Super Four Fifty in Asia Cup

Abhishek Sharma surprisingly claimed that India wins matches against Pakistan one-sided, whenever his parents are present in the stadium.

Dig at Pakistan? Abhishek Sharma Clarifies ‘L’ Celebration After Historic Super Four Fifty in Asia Cup

Abhishek Sharma opened up about his viral 'L' celebration, while speaking to Suryakumar Yadav. (via NDTV Sports)

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Ace Indian T20I opener Abhishek Sharma, in a Player-of-the-Match display, scored a brilliant half-century to lead the Men in Blue to a commanding victory over Pakistan. After the match, Sharma clarified the meaning of his much-talked-about ‘L’ celebration, revealing it was a symbol of love.

The 25-year-old had a phenomenal outing against Pakistan in India’s first ‘Super Four’ encounter in the 2025 Asia Cup. Batting first, the Men in Green had posted a challenging 171/5 on the board, guided by a half-century from opener Sahibzada Farhan. In response to Pakistan’s 172-run target, India’s chase was a seemingly one-sided affair, with the openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill giving an electric start. 

The duo stitched up a 105-run opening stand off just 59 deliveries, with Sharma scoring a quick-fire 74 off just 39 balls, including six fours and five sixes, an innings that marked his first half-century in the 2025 Asia Cup.

Vice-captain Shubman Gill supported him from the other end, scoring 47 off 28 balls. Tilak Varma finished the match off in the end, by scoring 30 off 19 balls, including a six and four off the last two balls of the 19th over.

Moreover, India’s second-straight victory over Pakistan was full of on-field drama, including celebrations and gestures. While Pakistani opener Sahibzada Farhan’s ‘gun-shot’ gesture caught fans’ attention, Abhishek Sharma’s celebration after reaching the fifty-run milestone went under the radar. The 25-year-old took off his gloves and pulled up his sleeves to make a distinct ‘L’ sign with his fingers, pointing it toward the dugout and the crowd.

In a light-hearted moment after the match, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav conversed with the young opener, questioning him about the meaning behind his viral celebration. While many had speculated it was a dig at Pakistan, the opener clarified by explaining that his distinct ‘L’ gesture symbolizes love, dedicated towards the fans, his teammates and to the Sunrisers Hyderabad supporters.

He also shared that the victory against Pakistan was memorable with his family present at the venue, in Dubai. Sharma told Suryakumar Yadav in a video shared by the BCCI:

Actually, it means Love. That’s a glove-love sign, for all the fans who come to support us, for Team India, for the IPL fans too.

Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time Abhishek Sharma made such a celebratory gesture. During the 2025 IPL season, he had performed a similar celebration after scoring a hundred against the Punjab Kings, holding up a note with a message for the SRH fans.

Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill’s New Opening Pair Puts Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Chances in Doubt

Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill have effectively cemented their place as India’s new T20I opening combination. The two players hailing from Punjab, were mentored by former India legend Yuvraj Singh and have consistently opened for the team throughout the ongoing 2025 Asia Cup.

Abhishek Sharma-Shubman Gill opening
Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill are set to lead India’s T20I batting lineup for years to come. (via NDTV Sports)

Shubman Gill’s promotion to the vice-captaincy role in India’s T20I side ahead of the Asia Cup, meant that he would be opening alongside Sharma, pushing Sanju Samson down the order. The Kerala batter, after being elevated to the opening role following Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirement, had scored over 400 runs in 12 T20Is, including three hundreds last year, at a strike-rate of over 170. 

The new opening partnership, which has shone in the Asia Cup ‘Super Four’ clash against Pakistan, has pushed Samson down to number five. The 30-year-old has even batted behind Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, which is far below his preferred position as an opener. It is widely speculated that the new Gill-Sharma partnership could continue to lead the innings all the way to the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The new opening duo of Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma has also kept Yashasvi Jaiswal out of the team, despite the 23-year-old being one of the country’s top T20I performers. Jaiswal has scored 723 runs in 23 T20I matches since 2023 at an average of 36.15.

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