Abhishek Sharma set sights on breaking records in Asia Cup final vs PAK

India’s dynamic opener Abhishek Sharma is on the brink of rewriting record books as the Men in Blue prepare for a blockbuster Asia Cup final against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. The young left-hander has been in scintillating form, drawing attention with his aggressive yet consistent batting approach that has placed him within touching distance of milestones previously set by stalwarts of the T20I format.

 

Media reports suggest that the management is backing him fully to continue his fearless approach in the final, believing his batting has changed the tempo of India’s starts. Fans, too, are pinning their hopes on Abhishek, who has emerged as one of India’s most impactful players this year. 

 

Kohli’s mark in sight

Abhishek has been the standout batter of the Asia Cup, amassing 309 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 204.63. His tally includes three half-centuries, all scored during the Super Four stage, with a top score of 75. With just 11 more runs, he will surpass Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs by an Indian in a multi-nation T20I tournament.

Most runs by an Indian player in a single T20I tournament

Player	Mat	Inns	Runs	HS	100	50	Tournament
V Kohli	6	6	319	77	0	4	World T20 (in Bangladesh), 2013/14
Abhishek Sharma	6	6	309	75	0	3	Men's T20 Asia Cup (in United Arab Emirates), 2025
V Kohli	6	6	296	82*	0	4	ICC Men's T20 World Cup (in Australia), 2022/23
V Kohli	5	5	276	122*	1	2	Men's T20 Asia Cup (in UAE), 2022
V Kohli	5	5	273	89*	0	3	World T20 (in India), 2015/16
RG Sharma	8	8	257	92	0	3	ICC Men's T20 World Cup (USA/WI), 2024
SA Yadav	6	6	239	68	0	3	ICC Men's T20 World Cup (in Australia), 2022/23
G Gambhir	7	6	227	75	0	3	ICC World Twenty20 (in South Africa), 2007/08
SK Raina	5	5	219	101	1	1	ICC World Twenty20 (in West Indies), 2010
RG Sharma	6	6	200	62*	0	2	World T20 (in Bangladesh), 2013/14
SA Yadav	8	8	199	53	0	2	ICC Men's T20 World Cup (USA/WI), 2024
S Dhawan	5	5	198	90	0	2	Nidahas T20 Tri-Series (in Sri Lanka), 2017/18
KL Rahul	5	5	194	69	0	3	ICC Men's T20 World Cup (Oman/UAE), 2021/22
V Kohli	5	5	185	78*	0	2	ICC World Twenty20 (in Sri Lanka), 2012/13
RG Sharma	5	5	174	74	0	2	ICC Men's T20 World Cup (Oman/UAE), 2021/22
RG Sharma	5	5	173	89	0	2	Nidahas T20 Tri-Series (in Sri Lanka), 2017/18
RR Pant	8	8	171	42	0	0	ICC Men's T20 World Cup (USA/WI), 2024
MS Dhoni	7	6	154	45	0	0	ICC World Twenty20 (in South Africa), 2007/08

Salt’s global record under threat

Beyond national records, Abhishek is also eyeing a global benchmark. England opener Phil Salt set the record for most runs by a batter from a Test-playing nation in a T20I series with 331 against the West Indies in 2023. Abhishek is just 23 runs shy of overtaking Salt’s tally, and a strong outing against Pakistan could see him climb to the very top of that list.

Most runs by a player in a T20I series or tournament

Player	Mat	Inns	Runs	HS	100	50
PD Salt (ENG)	5	5	331	119	2	0
V Kohli (IND)	6	6	319	77	0	4
TM Dilshan (SL)	7	7	317	96*	0	3
Mohammad Rizwan (PAK)	6	6	316	88*	0	4
Abhishek Sharma (IND)	6	6	309	75	0	3
AJ Finch (AUS)	5	5	306	172	1	1
Babar Azam (PAK)	6	6	303	70	0	4

Consistency in rare company

The opener has matched Rohit Sharma and Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan for the record of most consecutive 30-plus scores in T20Is, with seven such innings in a row. A similar effort on Sunday would see him outpace two of the modern game’s most reliable run-scorers.

A breakout year for India’s new star

In 2025, Abhishek has been India’s most prolific T20I batter, scoring 588 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of over 211. Across his short career of 23 matches, he has already produced two centuries and five fifties, with a highest score of 135. His rapid rise, many believe, has not only strengthened India’s top order but has also set a new template for batting in the shortest format.