Abhishek Sharma breaks world record after Asia Cup heroics

India’s Abhishek Sharma has rewritten the record books in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, posting a new high for batter ratings after a standout performance in the Asia Cup hosted in the United Arab Emirates. The 25-year-old left-hander surged to 931 rating points, eclipsing the previous best of 919 held by England’s Dawid Malan since 2020. Sharma’s achievement came on the back of a Player of the Series display, underscoring his dominance in the shortest format of the game and taking him past the career-best T20I rating set by Indian legend Virat Kohli, who had reached 909.

Abhishek Sharma’s rise to the top of the ICC T20I batting rankings follows a prolific Asia Cup, where he amassed 314 runs across seven matches. His consistency and aggression at the top order enabled him to finish with an average close to 45 and a remarkable strike rate of 200, helping him retain the No. 1 position amongst T20I batters.

The landmark was reached after Sharma’s innings of 61 against Sri Lanka in the Super Four stage, propelling his rating to 931. He also notched a significant 75 against Bangladesh, demonstrating his capability to perform in high-pressure scenarios. Sharma ended the tournament with 926 points, a notable 82 points clear of England’s Phil Salt, who is ranked second.