Abhishek Sharma has established himself as one of the most explosive batters in world cricket.
Swashbuckling opener Abhishek Sharma is expected to play a pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 defence. Since his debut in July 2024, the southpaw has established himself as one of the most explosive batters in world cricket.
Abhishek has played 33 T20Is so far, scoring 1115 runs at an incredible strike rate of 188.02, including two hundreds and six fifties. Despite being aggressive in his approach, the left-hander has managed to maintain an impressive average of 35.96 as well.
Under Suryakumar Yadav-Gautam Gambhir regime, the Men in Blue have embraced a more aggressive approach in the shortest format, consistently outbatting their opponents and Abhishek’s quick starts have been critical in setting the tone.
Recently, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar mentioned that Abhishek Sharma’s fearless approach epitomises the way this Indian team wants to play T20 cricket.
“Abhishek Sharma defines the way this Indian team wants to play in the T20 format. A fearless and aggressive brand of cricket is only possible with a player like Abhishek Sharma," Bangar was quoted as saying on JioHotstar.
Former India cricketer Suresh Raina highlighted that Abhishek’s wide array of shots makes him a distinctive batter in the lineup. “I think his bat swing, the way he hits sixes off spinners while staying in his crease, the way he plays through the covers, and the drives he hits off full balls all stand out. He uses his feet really well and is a strong hitter straight down the ground,” Raina remarked.
Ex-India batter Cheteshwar Pujara was effusive in praise of Abhishek’s versatility as he contrasted the left-hander with traditional top-order players.
“He is a really versatile player. Often, we have seen that top-order batters are dominant on the leg side. But Abhishek plays equally well on the off side as well and shows intent from the first ball itself, trying to hit a four or a six. He picks the length really well and has a huge variety of shots,” Pujara observed.
Before the T20 World Cup 2026 starting next month, Abhishek Sharma will feature in India’s home T20I series against New Zealand. The five-match series will be played from January 21 to January 31.