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JANUARY 02, 2026 | The Indian Eye 32

SPORTS STARS OF 2025

Abhishek Sharma and the Year Indian

Cricket Found Its New T20 Colossus

In 2025, Abhishek Sharma didn’t just have a breakthrough season—he rewrote the limits of
T20 batting and emerged as the most explosive force in Indian cricket.

ndian cricket has witnessed many standout
seasons, but 2025 belonged unmistakably to
IAbhishek Sharma. In a year where dominance
met daring, Sharma rose to become the world’s
number one ranked T20I batter, recording the
highest rating points ever achieved in the format’s
history. What separated his rise from others was not
just volume or longevity, but the sheer violence and
control with which he dismantled bowling attacks
across competitions.
By the end of the year, Abhishek Sharma was no
longer a promise fulfilled—he was a standard reset.
Across all T20s in 2025, Sharma amassed 1,602
runs in 41 matches at an astonishing strike rate of
202.01. For India in T20 internationals, he scored
859 runs in 21 matches, averaging nearly 43 while
striking at 193.46. These were not flat-track num-
bers or opportunistic cameos. They were innings
played against elite attacks, under pressure, and
with a clarity of intent that defined India’s white-ball
identity through the year.
The defining moment came in September 2025,
when Sharma climbed to the top of the ICC Men’s
T20I rankings. His rating of 931 points was unprece-
dented—the highest ever in the history of T20 inter-
nationals. It was official confirmation of what bowl-
ers already knew: Abhishek Sharma was operating
at a level the format had rarely seen.
His ascent was powered by innings that entered
record books almost casually. Against England, he
produced one of the most devastating knocks in in-
ternational cricket—135 off just 54 balls, the highest His domination extended to domestic cricket as only power, but evolution. Once viewed primari-
individual score by an Indian in men’s T20Is. It was a well. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, representing ly as a fearless hitter, he refined his shot selection
display of power without recklessness, where conven- Punjab, Sharma scored 304 runs in six matches at an av- in 2025, showing the ability to build innings with-
tional fields felt obsolete and bowling plans irrelevant. erage exceeding 50. The message was unmistakable: out blunting aggression. His improved awareness
That template followed him into the IPL, where whether international, franchise, or domestic crick- against spin, sharper placement against pace, and
he delivered another historic assault. Playing for Sun- et, Abhishek Sharma was playing a different game. ability to accelerate without losing shape marked a
risers Hyderabad, Sharma smashed 141 off 55 balls Perhaps the most telling statistic of his year was batter who had matured rapidly.
against Punjab Kings, becoming the highest-scor- his six-hitting. Sharma became the joint-quickest by For Indian cricket, Sharma’s rise solved a
ing Indian batter in IPL history. The innings reaf- innings and the fastest by balls faced to reach 50 six- long-standing T20 puzzle: how to dominate the
firmed that his international success was no anom- es in T20 internationals—a feat achieved in just 20 format from ball one without gambling wickets.
aly; it was transferable, repeatable, and sustainable. innings and 331 balls. These were not slogged sixes He became the embodiment of controlled chaos—
What made Sharma’s 2025 truly special was born of desperation, but calculated strokes rooted someone who could tilt matches irreversibly while
consistency across platforms. In the Asia Cup, he in timing, balance, and exceptional bat speed. remaining reliable.
became the tournament’s central figure, scoring And yet, despite the fireworks, Sharma fell just By the close of 2025, Abhishek Sharma was
314 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of exactly short of one iconic mark. His 1,602 T20 runs in 2025 no longer being discussed as a future star. He was
200.00. He finished as both the leading run-scorer made him the second-highest Indian run-scorer in a the present tense of Indian T20 cricket. Records,
and Player of the Tournament, playing a decisive calendar year, narrowly missing Virat Kohli’s 2016 rankings, trophies, and fearlessness all aligned in a
role in India’s title-winning campaign. In match- record of 1,614 runs. That near-miss only added tex- single season that redefined expectations. In a year
es where momentum decided outcomes, Sharma ture to his season, placing him in direct statistical crowded with excellence, Abhishek Sharma stood
seized control early, often settling contests within conversation with India’s modern greats. tallest—not just as India’s breakout performer, but
the Powerplay. What distinguishes Abhishek Sharma is not as the most destructive T20 batter in the world.

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