Abhishek Sharma Unleashing The Beast

The left-handed, dynamic opener has etched his name in history, soaring to an unprecedented 931 rating points in the ICC Men's T20I rankings. What's scary is that this is merely the beginning of his extraordinary journey

- Ravi Raj

In a format as fickle as T20s, the closest you can get to certitude is the approach that Abhishek Sharma takes when he comes to open the innings. His aggression is anything but controlled and calculated. His strokes are anything but manufactured. He is a batter in the classical mould, with a bat swing that resembles more of a pro golfer than a cricketer, and strokes that are mostly textbook, the venerable drives and flicks, but infused with extra power and anti-gravity tendencies. The grounded shots are few and far between. There's a sense of inevitability around Abhishek nowadays, as he demonstrated once again in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2025.

The left-handed batter amassed 314 runs, at an astounding strike rate of 200. No batter hit more sixes than him (19) in the tournament. He played as though merely executing a predetermined script. His ruthless assault in the Powerplays consistently propelled India into the driving seat from the get go. Even when he got out in his thirties, it was not without deflating the spirit and sanity of opening bowlers. It's still early days for Abhishek in the international arena. While he has already showcased his destructive prowess—most memorably in a 54-ball 135 against England earlier this year—questions persisted about his temperament in high-stakes encounters like an India-Pakistan clash at a global tournament like Asia Cup.