Abhishek Sharma has come a long way from the little boy in Amritsar who first picked up a cricket bat at the age of three-and-a-half. On his birthday, his journey stands out as one of the most remarkable rises in modern T20 cricket, from a promising youngster in Punjab to an India regular and the holder of the highest-ever ICC T20I batting rating.
The boy who started cricket at 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. The youngster quickly developed an obsession with batting and progressed through Punjab’s age-group system.His numbers soon began attracting attention. During the 2015-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, Abhishek scored more than 1,200 runs at an average of 109.09 and also claimed 57 wickets. He captained Punjab to the Under-19 Asia Cup title in 2016 before becoming part of India’s victorious Under-19 World Cup campaign in 2018.The IPL came at just 17, when Delhi Daredevils picked him in the 2018 auction. His career, however, did not explode 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
A major influence during that period was Yuvraj Singh. The former India all-rounder became Abhishek’s mentor and worked closely with him, particularly during the Covid-19 lockdown. Yuvraj understood the youngster’s attacking instincts and encouraged him to embrace them rather than become overly cautious. That philosophy eventually became the foundation of Abhishek’s T20 game.His international breakthrough came after making his T20I debut in July 2024. In February 2025, Abhishek produced one of the most devastating T20I innings by an Indian batter when he smashed 135 off just 54 balls against England in Mumbai. The innings contained 13 sixes and a 37-ball century, announcing him as one of India’s most dangerous T20 batters.
From breakthrough star to world-record holder
The 135 was only 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 at a strike rate of 200 and was named Player of the Tournament as India won the competition.His performances pushed him to the top of the ICC T20I batting rankings and eventually into record-breaking territory. After scoring 61 against Sri Lanka, Abhishek reached 931 rating points, the highest-ever rating achieved by a men’s T20I batter.He surpassed Dawid Malan’s previous record of 919 and moved beyond the best ratings achieved by India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli.
A T20 batter built for destruction
The numbers behind Abhishek’s rise were 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 rate above 200. He finished the year at a strike rate of 202 and smashed 108 sixes.His IPL performances were equally destructive. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Abhishek produced a stunning 141 off 55 balls against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025. He reached his fifty in only 16 balls and his century in 40, hitting 14 fours and 10 sixes as Hyderabad chased down 246. The innings broke KL Rahul’s record for the highest score by an Indian batter in IPL history.His development has been shaped by several influential figures. Apart from Yuvraj, Abhishek has drawn lessons from players such as Shikhar Dhawan, Brian Lara and Travis Head. At Sunrisers, his partnership with Head showed how effectively his aggressive approach could work against the best bowling attacks.At the 2026 T20 World Cup, Abhishek added another major achievement to his growing list, playing a crucial role in India’s title-winning campaign, including a blistering 52 off 21 balls in the final against New Zealand.
T20I career so far
Abhishek Sharma has 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 highest score of 135. His aggressive approach is reflected in his boundary count, with the left-hander hitting 164 fours and 104 sixes in his international career so far.