Left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma, currently ranked No.1 in the ICC T20I batter rankings, has quickly established himself as a reliable opener since making his debut against Zimbabwe in July 2024. Known for his belligerent stroke play, Abhishek Sharma enjoys the backing of the team management, and the upcoming Asia Cup could be the first major test for the swashbuckling batter on a big stage.
India is all set to begin the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 with a new and exciting opening pair. Shubman Gill, who has returned to the T20I side as the vice-captain, is likely to join Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order in the upcoming continental tournament. Shubman Gill made a comeback to the side on the back of strong performances in the IPL 2025 and a successful England tour. Apart from being the vice-captain, Gill’s calm and steady batting style makes him a reliable choice to give the Men in Blue solid starts in the Asia Cup 2025.
On the other hand, Abhishek Sharma has quickly become one of the most talked-about names in the format, thanks to his fearless hitting and aggressive approach. The left-handed batter has already impressed against England and now holds the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20I batting rankings.
Both Punjab lads give India a left-right combination that could trouble any bowling attack. And this combination has already been approved by the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, leaving Sanju Samson, who is also part of the Asia Cup 2025 squad, uncertain in the playing XI.
Abhishek Sharma’s stellar cricket career
For a batter set to make his maiden appearance in a multi-team international competition, the No.1 rank is certainly a big boost. Top-ranked among batters in T20Is, young Abhishek Sharma should be in a strong mindset as he goes into the upcoming Asia Cup, which will also mark his first tournament for India featuring several other countries.
After a consistent showing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, especially in the last two editions of the IPL, Abhishek Sharma backed it up with performances for India that were not just explosive, but more importantly, impact-making. He has proved so in India’s last two T20I series against South Africa (away) and England (home).
Struggling initially against the Proteas in their conditions, the 24-year-old showed he’s a quick learner with scores of 50 and 36 at a strike rate of 200 in the last two games. Thereafter, against the Englishmen, the left-hander was at his destructive best, with his 79 off 34 balls at Eden Gardens and the masterful 135 off just 54 balls at the Wankhede underlining it.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter has been impressive as an opener for the past year, but with Gill’s return, Sanju is more likely to play in the middle order or serve as a backup opener and wicketkeeper in the upcoming tournament, starting on September 9 in the UAE. Ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 ,Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi named Abhishek Sharma as the toughest batter to bowl to.
Ravi Bishnoi is in all praise of Abhishek Sharma’s agressive approach ahead of IPL 2026
Ravi Bishnoi has finally revealed the one batter who has given him sleepless nights, and he is his India teammate, who smashed him for four consecutive sixes during Match 61 of IPL 2025 between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The young Indian spinner admitted that the young explosive left-hander Abhishek Sharma is the toughest batter to bowl at for him. Bishnoi also hailed the SRH opener for his batting excellence, and his hammering in the IPL left him in awe of his talent.
Abhishek Sharma has turned into a nightmare for Bishnoi. Across all T20s, Abhishek Sharma has scored 37 runs off just 8 balls against Bishnoi at a mind-boggling strike rate of 462.5. The Punjab lad has already become India’s first-choice opener and one of the most feared young hitters in the T20s.
In just 17 T20 internationals, Abhishek Sharma has blasted 535 runs at an average of 33.43 and an astonishing strike rate of 193.84. He has two fifties and two blazing centuries to his name in the T20Is, and he is currently gearing up for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE. Ravi Bishnoi said on the YouTube podcast Game Changers :
“Right now, I think Abhishek Sharma is batting really well. Against him, I feel I need to bring something extra from my side. As a leg-spinner, I feel he plays me quite well. He has worked very hard in the off-season, and even now you can see him putting in the effort day in and day out. The way he is batting, I always think about how I can improve against him. I keep trying to figure out how I can get better when I bowl to such good batters.”
Abhishek Sharma has only played T20I cricket for the Men in Blue. In 16 innings, he has amassed 535 runs at an average of 33.44 and a strike rate of 193.85.
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