“I did not like the way that they (Pakistan bowlers) came at us without any reason. That’s why I went after them,” young opener Abhishek Sharma said calmly after India’s Super 4 match against Pakistan. Playing at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, September 21, Abhishek Sharma tore apart the Salman Agha side, smashing a quickfire 74 as India chased down the target.
At 25, Abhishek Sharma has quietly become the backbone of India’s batting over the last year. When the big, tall Pakistan pacers got up close, trying to unsettle him with sledging, Abhishek Sharma didn’t flinch – instead, he stepped it up, hitting two boundaries an over, not just one.
What really makes Abhishek Sharma stand out is this rare mix of fearless aggression and a sharp cricketing brain. He’s not just swinging wildly- he’s reading the game, figuring out exactly what the team needs, and pacing his innings perfectly. That kind of balance is hard to find, and it’s what puts him in a league of his own.
Among all T20I batters averaging over 30, Abhishek Sharma holds the highest strike rate in the format’s history – an eye-popping 197. Put simply, when he walks out, you can expect him to blast around 30 runs off just 15 balls. That kind of firepower changes matches.
Abhishek Sharma powers India to victory against Pakistan
The Indian cricket team cruised to a six-wicket victory against Pakistan in their first Super 4 game of Asia Cup 2025 as Abhishek Sharma lit up the Dubai Cricket Stadium with a match-winning innings on Sunday. Put into bat first, the Pakistan cricket team put on a competitive 171/5 in their 20 overs. Sahibzada Farhan’s 58 off 45 powered the two-time Asia Cup champions to their highest first innings score against India.
In reply, Abhishek Sharma (74 off 39) and Shubman Gill (47 off 28) put on a 105-run opening partnership in 59 balls to set the tone for India, who pulled off their highest chase against Pakistan in 18.5 overs. Pakistan made a brisk start with Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan opening the innings. Zaman fell to Hardik Pandya in the third over but Saim Ayub – coming in after three successive ducks – stitched a partnership of 72 off 49 balls with Farhan to keep the scoring rate near nine an over.
After getting to 55/1 in the powerplay – Pakistan’s best of the tournament – Ayub and Farhan carried the momentum to take their team to 91/1 at the halfway stage.With India’s frontline attack struggling to make inroads, skipper Suryakumar Yadav turned to Shivam Dube. The move paid off as the all-rounder’s clever changes of pace removed Ayub in the 11th over and Farhan on the first ball of the 15th.
Pakistan went six overs without a boundary, managing just 30 runs between overs 11 and 16. Faheem Ashraf’s late flourish – 20 from eight balls – lifted Pakistan to 171, with 50 runs coming in the last four overs. It was their highest total against India when batting first in T20Is.For India, Jasprit Bumrah endured a rare off day, finishing with 0/45 – his third-most expensive spell in T20Is.
India, however, had a great start with Abhishek Sharma kicking off the innings with a six off a short ball bowled by Shaheen Afridi.India ended the powerplay at 69/0 – their best against Pakistan – with both Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill showing their range of shots.
Abhishek Sharma brought up his half-century in 24 balls in the eighth over with a boundary in the cover region. The pair completed the 100-run partnership in the ninth over. Faheem Ashraf broke the partnership in the next over, cleaning up Shubman Gill’s off stump with a cross-seamed delivery.Abhishek Sharma was dismissed in the 13th over, leaving India to get just 49 off 46 deliveries.
Though Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for a duck, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya ensured India got past the finishing line with seven balls to spare. Earlier in the group stage, India chased down Pakistan’s 128-run target with seven wickets and 25 balls to spare. India finished top Group A with three wins out of three, while Pakistan finished second with two victories.
His rise hasn’t gone unnoticed in the dressing room either. India captain Suryakumar Yadav, speaking after the Pakistan game, called Abhishek Sharma the hardest worker he’s ever seen. And he’s convinced that kind of grind, mixed with genuine humility, is what makes a special player.
Abhishek Sharma always wants to be active- Suryakumar Yadav
Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav hailed young opener Abhishek Sharma for his selfless style of batting after the latter smashed a brilliant half-century against Pakistan on Sunday, September 21. Suryakumar Yadav opined that analyzing the situation post the powerplay is one of Abhishek’s strengths.
India T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav believes the work ethic of Abhishek Sharma has led to his inevitable rise in the international game, proven by an assured showing in their Asia Cup Super Fours victory over Pakistan in Dubai.
The 25-year-old left-hander belted 74 from just 39 balls, as India coasted past a target of 172 in the penultimate over.Putting on an opening stand of 105 inside 10 overs with Shubman Gill (47 from 28 balls), Abhishek was unpeturbed by the loss of Suryakumar (zero) in the next over, with the skipper pointing to his work off the park as a key to his success.
At the post-match press conference, skipper Suryakumar Yadav was lavish in his praise of Abhishek Sharma. Asked for his views on the southpaw’s scintillating form, he said:
“He’s very selfless when it comes to his batting style. As he passes the powerplay, he can still bat the same way as he bats in the powerplay. But the way he analyzes the situation post powerplay, that’s a plus point for him and he’s learning every game. It’s very important for him to understand what his role is.”
While Abhishek Sharma has been in great touch in Asia Cup 2025, Gill needed a few runs under his belt. Reflecting on the Test skipper’s knock, the T20I captain said:
“With Shubman, everyone knows what kind of player he is. He knows how to score runs and the way he scored day is a sign of a very good batter. He would have done the same thing that Abhishek was doing; backed his shots. And that reverse sweep, he’s been practicing a lot. I was really happy to see him play that in the game.”
Gill hit eight fours in his fluent knock against Pakistan on Sunday. He was looking good for a half-century when he was knocked over by Faheem Ashraf. India take on Bangladesh in their next Asia Cup fixture on Thursday, while Pakistan look to bounce back in a meeting with Sri Lanka a day prior on Wednesday.