Is Varying Pace A Weapon To Counter Fiery India Opener Abhishek Sharma?
Abhishek Sharma, the left-handed batter from Amritsar, has become every new-ball bowler's nightmare.
Abhishek Sharma doesn't just face bowlers - he disrupts them. With a powerplay strike rate hovering near 190, the left-handed batter from Amritsar has become every new-ball bowler's nightmare. His clean hitting, quick hands, and fearless intent have turned him into one of T20I cricket's most destructive openers. And now, he's done something no one before him has. In Brisbane, during his 29th T20I, Abhishek became the fastest player to reach 1000 T20I runs - doing it in just 528 balls, eclipsing Suryakumar Yadav's record of 573.
Fastest to 1000 T20I Runs:
Abhishek Sharma - India - 528
Suryakumar Yadav - India - 573
Phil Salt - England - 599
Glenn Maxwell - Australia - 604
Andre Russell - West Indies - 609
Finn Allen - New Zealand - 609
At just 25, Abhishek's rise has been meteoric. But even meteors risk burning out too soon.
Ahead of the Brisbane clash, former India cricketer Abhishek Nair highlighted a concern on Star Sports: "Nathan Ellis has dismissed Abhishek Sharma three times by just varying his pace." The numbers back that up - Ellis has removed Abhishek three times in just 16 deliveries, conceding only 15 runs.
A closer look at his dismissals shows a pattern:
- 17 times caught in the deep
- 4 caught behind
- 2 LBW
- 2 run-outs
- 1 stumped
- 1 clean bowled
The message is clear - bowlers are starting to adapt.
Even after his blistering 74 vs Pakistan in the Asia Cup, Virender Sehwag offered him a veteran's warning: "He must start converting his 70s into hundreds - or he'll look back and regret them later."
India Cricket Team
Australia Cricket Team