Overview:
In the current calendar, he has scored 1,533 runs from 39 T20 contests, maintaining a solid average of 41.43.
Abhishek Sharma stands on the brink of eclipsing a long-standing Indian T20 landmark, with Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs by an Indian batter in a calendar year in sight. Kohli scored 1614 runs from 31 matches at an average of 89.66, laced with four hundreds and 14 half-centuries in 2016.
The left-hander requires just 87 more runs to move past the tally that has remained untouched for nearly a decade.
In the current calendar, he has scored 1,533 runs from 39 T20 contests, maintaining a solid average of 41.43. Attention now turns to Sunday, December 14, when he will take guard at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
Abhishek Sharma’s performance in the ongoing India–South Africa T20I series has alternated between promise and frustration. The first fixture in Cuttack saw him depart cheaply, even as India assembled 175 for six and sealed a comprehensive 101-run victory.
During the second T20I at New Chandigarh, Sharma retained his spot at the top of the order but delivered a brief cameo, scoring 17 from eight deliveries. His effort included a pair of maximums, one of which pushed him beyond the 50-sixes mark in a single T20I calendar year, putting him in an elite list of Indian six-hitters.
His stay was short-lived, and India’s chase soon lost momentum. South Africa’s imposing 213/4 set the tone, resulting in a 51-run defeat for the hosts and a 1-1 scoreline in the series.
India’s start to the series has highlighted sharply different outcomes. In the opener, their attack set the tone and the batting unit capitalised, but the second encounter exposed frailties under pressure, with the side falling well short while chasing a demanding total. With the five-match contest locked evenly, India will require steadier output from both the top and middle order, though Sharma’s ability to change games in a few overs remains a significant positive.