Shooting Cooper Connolly: Australia’s 22-year-old star
At just 25, Abhishek has become a central figure in India’s ultra-aggressive approach at the top of the order. His impact in 2025 was significant and he ended the year as the top T20 batsman in the ICC rankings after scoring 859 runs. Bangar believes that Abhishek’s mindset and skills perfectly match what India wants to project in the shortest format. “Abhishek Sharma defines the way this Indian team wants to play in the T20 format. A fearless and aggressive brand of cricket is possible only with a player like Abhishek Sharma,” Bangar said on JioStar. Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina also highlighted why Abhishek is such a dangerous batsman in modern T20 cricket. “I think what stands out is his swing with the bat, the way he hits sixes off the spinners while staying in his crease, the way he plays through the covers and the shots he hits full balls. He uses his feet really well and is a powerful hitter down the ground,” Raina said. Cheteshwar Pujara also pointed out that Abhishek’s ability to score all around the wicket separates him from conventional top-order players. “He’s a real all-rounder. We’ve often seen top-order batsmen dominate on the leg side. But Abhishek plays equally well on the off side and shows intent from the very first ball when he tries to hit a four or a six. He picks the length really well and has a huge range of strokes,” Pujara said.