He started playing at half past three; two decades later, he achieved the highest ever T20I rating: How Abhishek Sharma conquered the fastest format

Abhishek Sharma (AFP Photo) Abhishek Sharma has come a long way from being a small boy in Amritsar who first picked up a cricket bat at the age of three and a half. On his birthday, his journey will stand out as one of the most remarkable rises in modern T20 cricket, from a promising youngster in Punjab to an India regular and holder of the ICC’s highest ever T20I batsman rating.

A boy who started cricket at the age of three and a half

Abhishek’s father, Raj Kumar Sharma, a former cricketer, introduced him to the game when he was just three-and-a-half years old. The youngster quickly developed an obsession with batting and progressed through Punjab’s age group system.His numbers soon began to attract attention. During the 2015-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, Abhishek scored over 1200 runs at an average of 109.09 and also took 57 wickets. He led Punjab to the Under-19 Asia Cup title in 2016 before being part of India’s victorious campaign at the U-19 World Cup in 2018.The IPL came at just 17 when he was picked by Delhi Daredevils in the 2018 auction. However, his career did not take off immediately. Abhishek spent several seasons developing his game through domestic cricket and the IPL before finding the perfect platform for his aggressive style.

Yuvraj Singh’s influence shapes his fearless approach

The main influence during this period was Yuvraj Singh. The former Indian all-rounder became Abhishek’s mentor and worked closely with him, especially during the Covid-19 lockdown. Yuvraj understood the youngster’s attacking instincts and encouraged him to embrace them rather than being overly cautious. This philosophy eventually became the foundation of Abhishek’s T20 game.His international breakthrough came after he made his T20I debut in July 2024. In February 2025, Abhishek produced one of the most devastating T20I innings by an Indian batsman when he smashed 135 off just 54 balls against England in Mumbai. The innings featured 13 sixes and a 37-ball century, establishing him as one of India’s most dangerous T20 batsmen.

From breakout star to world record holder

135 was just the beginning. During the 2025 Asia Cup, Abhishek established himself as India’s attacking force at the top of the order. He scored 314 runs in seven matches with a strike of 200 and was named player of the tournament as India won the competition.His performances propelled him to the top of the ICC T20I batting rankings and eventually into record territory. After scoring 61 against Sri Lanka, Abhishek achieved a rating of 931, the highest ever by a male T20I batsman.He surpassed Dawid Malan’s previous record of 919 and moved past the best tally achieved by India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli.

A T20 batter designed to be destroyed

The numbers behind Abhishek’s rise have been extraordinary. In 2025, he became the first player to score more than 1,000 runs in T20 cricket in a calendar year while maintaining a strike tally above 200. He finished the year with a strike tally of 202 and smashed 108 sixes.His IPL performances have been equally destructive. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Abhishek produced a stupendous 141 off 55 balls against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025. He reached his fifty in just 16 balls and his century in 40, hitting 14 fours and 10 sixes as Hyderabad I chased down 246. The batting innings broke India’s PL and Rahu score record in Rahu history.Its development was influenced by several influential personalities. Apart from Yuvraj, Abhishek has taken lessons from players like Shikhar Dhawan, Brian Lara and Travis Head. At Sunrisers, his partnership with Head showed how effectively his aggressive approach can work against the best bowling attacks.At the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup, Abhishek added another major achievement to his growing list, playing a key role in India’s title campaign, including a blistering 52 off 21 balls in the final against New Zealand.

T20I career so far

Abhishek Sharma played 56 T20Is between 2024 and 2026, scoring 1,629 runs in 55 innings at an average of 30.73 and a remarkable strike rate of 187.24. He has registered two centuries and 11 fifties, with a top score of 135. His aggressive approach is reflected in his boundary numbers, with the left-hander hitting 164 fours and 104 sixes in his international career so far.