Abhishek Sharma Reveals His First Big Pay Cheque And How Father's Money Lesson Gave Him Reality Check

When Abhishek Sharma first held his IPL pay cheque of Rs 55 lakh, he felt like life had changed overnight. "At that time, I thought I could buy a house anywhere in Amritsar," he said on digital show Breakfast with Champions in conversation with the show's host Gaurav Kapur.

For a boy who had grown up in a modest home, sharing a single room with his two sisters, the idea of giving his family a bigger house seemed like the natural next step.

By the second year, when his IPL earnings had crossed a crore, he became more certain: it was time to buy that "big house" for his family. That is when his father cut in with a question that stopped him in his tracks: "Tell us how? Where's the money?"

At first, he did not understand. He had seen the numbers on paper, but taxes, property prices and other realities of expenses were not part of his world then. His father, who had spent his life between cricket and a steady job at the bank, sat him down to explain the basics. "Do you want your account balance to be zero after buying a house?" he asked.

That one line stayed with Sharma. "I understood these things a little late," he admitted. The urge to spend big gave way to a slower, more thoughtful approach.

Sharma says he had always wanted to make sure his parents could finally enjoy life beyond work.

His father had been tied up with responsibilities all his life, and his mother, he felt, had missed out on simple joys. For him, travel, leisure and comfort for his parents take priority over the immediate purchase of a new house.

For Sharma, who is only 25 and already counted among India's brightest cricketing talents, it was a lesson in financial reality that many young earners face when the first big cheque lands in their bank account. The IPL gave him recognition and resources, but it was his father's clear-headed advice that grounded him.

Looking back, Abhishek Sharma says that moment shaped his understanding of money. The house would eventually come, but the bigger takeaway is also learning how to manage success without letting it slip away in the rush of excitement.