Abhishek Sharma’s fearless batting has established him as one of the most explosive openers in T20 cricket. However, former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes the left-handed batter is developing another important aspect of his game. Karthik praised Abhishek’s growing maturity and consistency, saying his ability to balance aggression with intelligent decision-making makes him stand out.
Speaking on Cricbuzz after Abhishek’s explosive innings against the West Indies in Indore, Karthik noted that the opener has progressed beyond simply relying on power-hitting and has become a consistent threat in different conditions.
“He's a fantastic opener. In him, India have someone who is extremely destructive against any attack. He can take it on in the big moments as well,” Karthik said.
“He's got the skills, he's got the shots, and now he's become a consistent scorer of runs at that strike rate, which is what makes him so special,” he added.
HOW ABHISHEK SHARMA SCRIPTED HISTORY VS WI
Abhishek scored a blistering 69 off 30 deliveries, hitting six fours and five sixes, as India made 223 before being bowled out at the Holkar Stadium. His 108-run partnership with Ishan Kishan, who contributed 37 from 18 balls, put India in a commanding position before a middle-order collapse slowed their progress.
India eventually defended their total by 14 runs, with Arshdeep Singh claiming three wickets to help the hosts take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Abhishek reached his half-century in only 18 balls. He also set a new record for the fastest batter to score 2,000 T20I runs in terms of deliveries faced, reaching the milestone in 1,024 balls and surpassing Suryakumar Yadav’s previous record of 1,164 deliveries.
Karthik cited Abhishek’s approach against West Indies spinner Roston Chase as an example of his improving game awareness. The opener initially took time to assess the conditions before switching back to his attacking style.
“He knocked the first couple of balls around and tried to assess what the pitch was doing. And then he went back to his attacking game,” Karthik said.
YUVRAJ’S GUIDANCE, ABHISHEK’S GROWTH
Karthik also acknowledged the role of former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who has mentored Abhishek, in helping the young batter improve his approach to T20 cricket.
“Abhishek Sharma is learning from the best, and you can see how he's able to pace an innings,” Karthik said.
He added that Abhishek’s consistency against quality opposition was particularly noteworthy. According to Karthik, the key is to preserve his natural attacking instincts while continuing to score runs regularly.
“He's doing it. That's why he's rated as one of the best players in the world,” he said.
Abhishek will get another chance to build on his impressive performance in Indore when India take on the West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday, October 14. With India ahead 2-1 in the series, another strong innings from the opener could be vital as the hosts aim to clinch the series with a match remaining.
