Abhishek Sharma credits Suryakumar, Gambhir for backing his fearless approach

Abhishek Sharma’s first international tour of Australia turned into a statement of intent, as the explosive opener continued his red-hot form with the bat. The left-hander piled up 163 runs in the T20I series and was deservedly named Player of the Series, showcasing his ability to dominate even on the challenging Australian pitches.

Now the world’s No. 1 T20 batter and the fastest ever to reach 1,000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced, Abhishek has become the embodiment of India’s aggressive batting philosophy. His high-risk, high-reward approach at the top of the order has been key to setting the tone early, even though it occasionally brings early dismissals — as seen when he was dropped in the first over of each of the last two games.

Also Read: Dhruv Jurel’s twin tons put pressure on Sai Sudharsan ahead of South Africa Tests

Despite the inherent risks, India’s leadership has fully embraced his fearless style. After sealing the series, Abhishek revealed that both captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir have played pivotal roles in shaping his confidence and mindset.

“The captain and coach have given me the clarity and confidence to just go and express myself,” Abhishek said at the post-series presentation. “When you’re getting 20s and 30s, you know you can go longer, but having the clarity to set the momentum for the team has really helped me.”

With an astonishing career strike rate of 190 across nearly 30 matches, Abhishek has already cemented himself as one of India’s most destructive T20 openers. Yet, his eyes are firmly on a bigger prize — the 2026 T20 World Cup at home.

“It will be a dream come true if I get to play the World Cup. Since childhood, I’ve dreamt of winning it for India. I’ll make sure I’m ready for that tournament,” he said, hopeful of featuring in his first ICC event next year.

Given his form and the attacking freedom India’s setup allows, Abhishek’s emergence adds another dimension to a side that will start the next World Cup as one of the clear favourites.