Dubai: As India prepare to face Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai on Sunday, all eyes are on opener Abhishek Sharma, who is on the verge of rewriting T20I record books. The 23-year-old left-hander has been in blistering form throughout the tournament and stands on the cusp of surpassing milestones set by legends Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Pakistan’s Mohammed Rizwan.
Abhishek has already scored the most runs in the ongoing Asia Cup, amassing 309 runs at an average of 51.50 and a strike rate of 204.63. His tally includes three fifties in succession during the Super Four stage, with a best of 75. The youngster has provided India with explosive starts that have laid the foundation for their dominant run into the final.
Closing in on Virat Kohli’s mark
One of the biggest milestones within Abhishek’s reach is the record for the most runs by an Indian in a multi-nation T20I tournament. Currently held by Virat Kohli, the benchmark is just 11 runs ahead of Abhishek’s current tally. A solid knock in the final would see the opener eclipse his senior teammate’s achievement.
Chasing Phil Salt’s record
Abhishek also has his eyes on a global record. England’s Phil Salt set the highest tally by a batter from a Test-playing nation in a T20I series/tournament with 331 runs during the 2023 West Indies tour. Abhishek is just 23 runs away from breaking that mark, an achievement that would place him among the elite in T20I history.
Successive scores milestone
The Indian opener has matched a unique record held by Rohit Sharma (2021–22) and Mohammed Rizwan (2021) — seven successive scores of 30-plus in T20Is. Should he cross 30 in the final, he will set a new world record, underlining his consistency to go with his aggressive strokeplay.
Stellar year for Abhishek
2025 has already been a breakthrough year for Abhishek Sharma in international cricket. In 11 T20Is this year, he has piled up 588 runs at an average of 53.45 and a strike rate of 211.51, including a century and four fifties. Overall, in his short T20I career of 23 matches, he has scored 844 runs at an average of 38.36 and a strike rate of 197.65, with two centuries and five fifties to his name.
Abhishek’s fearless batting style has been compared to his IPL exploits, where he excelled as an opener for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) alongside Australian all-format star Travis Head, forming one of the most destructive partnerships in the league.
A packed house awaits
With the Dubai International Stadium already declared houseful for the India–Pakistan final, the stage is set for Abhishek to etch his name in history. For fans, his duel with Pakistan’s bowlers could be a deciding factor in the contest.
Regardless of the result, Abhishek Sharma’s meteoric rise is fast making him one of the most exciting young stars in world cricket, and Sunday’s final offers him the chance to cement that reputation further.