Abhishek Sharma: India’s Rising Powerhouse in T20

By Archita LotaniFriday October 10, 2025

From a promising U-16 cricketer to India’s youngest number one T20I, Abhishek Sharma has set multiple records before turning 25, including the fastest List A century by an Indian and the highest individual IPL score by an Indian. His career reflects a blend of natural talent, disciplined training, and an aggressive yet calculated approach to batting. Explore this article to trace Abhishek’s journey of being India’s rising powerhouse in T20.

Abhishek Sharma’s Biography

Source: Mint

Born	4 September 2000 in Amritsar, Punjab
Education	Delhi Public School, Amritsar
Known as	Cricketer
Playing role	Batting Allrounder
Batting Style	Left-hand Bat
Bowling Style	Slow left-arm orthodox

Early Life of Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma is the youngest son of Manju and Raj Kumar Sharma. He has two elder sisters, Komal and Sania. He completed his schooling at Delhi Public School, Amritsar.

Abhishek’s father worked as a coach. He used to take Abhishek to the cricket academy. At the ages of 5 and 6, Abhishek started closely observing trophies at home, his father playing and coaching, and watching other players play around. Hence, these everyday moments established his interest in cricket.

Abhishek was coached by his father in the early days. He learned the basics of batting and bowling from his father. His childhood friend, Shubman Gill, is part of the same cricketing circles. They together opened for Punjab in U-14.

Rise through Junior Cricket: U-16 and U-19 [Domestic]

Source: Hindustan Times

Abhishek scored a century in his maiden U-16 match in the domestic cricket tournament for the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2015-16. He scored 1200 runs at an average of 109.09 in that match and later played for the U-19 in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy in 2016.

Abhishek was the captain of the 2016 U-19 Asia Cup team that won the match. He captained the squad for the tournament held in Sri Lanka and was also the player of the match in the final. He also led the team during an ODI series against England U-19 in 2017.

Beginning of Professional Cricket Career: IPL Breakthrough

Abhishek made his debut in first-class cricket for Punjab in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy on 6 October 2017. In January 2018, the Delhi Daredevils bought Abhishek at the IPL auction for ₹5.5 million. In May 2018, he made his debut and went on to score 46 runs off 19 balls.

Abhishek played a central role in the team that won the 2018 U-19 World Cup. He scored a half-century against Bangladesh in the quarterfinal match of the tournament. He also played in the 2018-19 Vijay Hazare Trophy for Punjab.

During the pandemic, Yuvraj Singh helped coach Abhishek. He shaped his batting skills by being influenced by Yuvraj’s playing style. On 28 February 2021, Abhishek played for Punjab against Madhya Pradesh, where he made the fastest hundred by an Indian in List A cricket, in 42 balls.

Rise in IPL with SRH

In February 2022, the Sunrisers Hyderabad [SRH] bought him for the 2022 edition. During the tournament, he played 14 matches and made 426 runs.

Maiden International Century

He was called up for the 2024 tour of Zimbabwe, where he made his international debut in the first match on 6 July. He made his maiden T20I century in the second match of the series, scoring 100 runs at the Harare Sports Club. He became the fastest Indian to score a century in innings batted. He also became the fourth batter to hit a maiden T20I century before 24 years of age.

Power Hitting in IPL 2024 Season

In 2024, he scored the fastest 50 for SRH against MI at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. He completed the season with 484 runs in 16 matches and a strike rate of 200. He was the second-highest run-scorer for the team after Travis Head. He also won the Most Sixes Award for hitting the highest number of sixes, i.e. 42 in the tournament.

Successful Captaincy

Abhishek also led Punjab to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy win in the 2023-24 season. There, he came second-highest run scorer of the tournament with 485 runs from ten innings at an average of 48.5 and a strike rate of 192.46, registering two hundreds and three fifties.

Historic IPL Century and Indian Records in 2025

During the 2025 season, Abhishek hit his first century of the league in 40 balls during the match against the Punjab Kings. He achieved 141 runs off 55 balls and set the record for the highest individual IPL score by an Indian. That score was also the third-highest individual score of all time and the highest score by an SRH batter. The score was also the fifth-fastest hundred witnessed by the league.

World Record T20I: Abhishek Sharma T20I Century

In 2025, Abhishek hit the highest individual score for India in T20Is by scoring 135 runs from 54 balls against England. His innings included 13 sixes and 7 fours. Abhishek hit the second-highest score against England as well as the second-fastest half-century and century for India by balls faced.

He also hit the most sixes for India in an innings in men’s T20Is and had the highest run-rate during a 100+ partnership for India in T20Is with Tilak Varma. He jumped to the 2nd spot in the men’s T20I world rankings after the century, becoming India’s number one batter. In 2025, Abhishek reached the number one world ranking in the T20I format and became the youngest Indian to do so.

Abhishek Sharma’s Playing Style

Abhishek is a left-handed opening batter known for his attacking approach in the powerplay. He combines clean ball-striking with quick bat speed, which allows him to clear the field comfortably. He is skilled at playing both fast and spin bowlers, with a variety of shots that let him score runs all over the field. His record in the IPL highlights his ability to score quickly, with a strike rate touching 200 in the 2024 season and a tally of 42 sixes, the highest in the tournament that year.

Abhishek can also contribute as a left-arm orthodox spin bowler when required. He has delivered useful overs in junior and domestic cricket. Overall, he bats with intent and quick-action batting at the top of the order, paired with the versatility to contribute as a part-time bowler.

Abhishek Sharma’s Career Statistics

Format	T20I	IPL	First-Class	List A	T20
Matches	23	77	24	61	147(152)
Innings	22	74	37	60	148
Runs	844	1816	1071	2014	4064
Average	38.36	27.10	30.60	35.33	31.5
Strike rate	197.73	161.01	70.46	99.21	168.52
50s	5	9	5	8	25
100s	2	1	1	4	7
Sixes	60	101	30	64	262
Highest score	135 vs England	141	100	170	141
Balls faced	427	1114	1520	2030	2577
Wickets	6	11	20	38	47

Source: ESPNcric

Awards & Recognition

In 2016, Abhishek Sharma was recognised as the Player of the Match and the Winning Captain at the U-19 Asia Cup.
In 2018, he was a member of the India U-19 World Cup-winning squad.
In 2021, by scoring a century in 42 balls, he was recognised on the Fastest List A century by an Indian.
In 2023, he was recognised as the Second-highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
In 2024, he was recognised as the Fastest T20 century by an Indian in 28 balls.
In 2025, he was recognised as Player of the Match in the ICC Champions Trophy.
He is also credited with the Highest individual score by an Indian in IPL history.
He is also known for the Most Sixes in a single IPL season.
He is recognised as the First batter to score 300+ runs in a single edition of the Asia Cup and the Youngest Indian to reach the World Number 1 ranking in T20I.
Sanath Jayasuriya has praised him for his batting talent.

Conclusion

Abhishek Sharma’s journey from a young cricket enthusiast in Amritsar to India’s number one T20I batter showcases his consistency, power-hitting ability, and leadership potential. He has delivered landmark performances on the international stage, along with setting records in domestic cricket. With a combination of aggressive batting, versatility as a bowler, and an eye for big-match moments, he continues to establish himself as a cornerstone of India’s T20 setup.