When Abhishek Sharma walked out to bat in the charged up India–Pakistan clash of the Asia Cup Super-Four last week, few would have predicted the storm he was about to unleash.

The 25-year-old left-hander from Punjab tore into Pakistan’s attack with a blistering 74 off just 39 balls at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium , setting the stage for India’s emphatic win. The innings won him accolades from fans, pundits and international cricketing greats alike.

But hundreds of miles away from the glitz of Dubai, in South Kashmir’s Anantnag, many were watching with a sense of familiarity and pride. For them, Sharma’s fearless stroke play was not a new spectacle — it was a memory rekindled from the summer of 2022, when he lit up the second edition of the Bijbehara Premier League at Bijbeha

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