Abhishek Sharma’s power comes with a plan, Dinesh Karthik explains why

Abhishek Sharma’s fearless approach has made him one of the most devastating openers in T20 cricket, but Dinesh Karthik believes the left-hander adds another dimension to his game. The former India wicketkeeper praised the Indian opener’s growing awareness and consistency and said his ability to combine aggression with smart decision-making sets him apart.

Then speaking on Cricbuzz Abhishek’s explosive knock against West Indies in IndoreKarthik highlighted how the opener has evolved beyond power hitting to become a consistent threat in all conditions.

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“He is a fantastic opener. India has someone in him who is extremely destructive against any attack. He can take charge even in big moments,” said Karthik.

“He’s got the skills, he’s got the shots and now he’s become a consistent run scorer with that strike rate, which makes him so special,” he added.

HOW ABHISHEK SHARMA WROTE VS WI HISTORY

Abhishek smashed 69 off just 30 balls, including six fours and five sixes, as India posted 223 at the Holkar Stadium. His 108-run stand with Ishan Kishan, who made 37 off 18 balls, put India in control before their momentum was checked by a middle-order collapse. India eventually defended their total by 14 runs, Arshdeep Singh took three wickets to help them take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Abhishek Sharma looks unstoppable in Indore Updates #TeamIndia | #INDvWI | @mflone_ | @OfficialAbhi04 BCCI (@BCCI) October 11, 2026

Abhishek brought up his half-century in just 18 deliveries. He also became the fastest batsman to reach 2,000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced, taking 1,024 deliveries to reach the milestone, surpassing Suryakumar Yadav’s previous mark of 1,164 balls.

Karthik pointed to Abhishek’s approach against West Indian spinner Roston Chase as evidence of his growing maturity, noting how the opener initially assessed the conditions before reverting to his attacking game.

“He knocked the first couple of balls and tried to gauge what the pitch was doing. And then he went back to his attacking game,” Karthik said.

YUVRAJ’S LEADERSHIP, ABHISHEK’S GROWTH

Karthik also credited former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who mentored Abhishek, for helping the youngster improve his T20 batting approach.

“Abhishek Sharma is learning from the best and you can see how he is able to accelerate the innings,” said Karthik.

He added that Abhishek’s ability to score against strong opposition while maintaining consistency was particularly impressive. The challenge for Karthik is to retain his attacking instinct while continuing to deliver regularly.

“He does. That’s why he’s rated as one of the best players in the world,” he said.

Abhishek will get another opportunity to build on his performance in Indore when India take on the West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday, October 14. With India leading the series 2-1, another strong start from the opener could prove crucial as the hosts look to seal the series with a game that will go a long way.

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