India’s in-form opener Abhishek Sharma and wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson are on the verge of making history as Team India prepares for the Asia Cup final against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday.
Sharma Nears Two Major Records
Abhishek Sharma’s blistering performance with the bat has positioned him to potentially surpass records held by T20I legends Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Pakistan’s Mohammed Rizwan.
Before the tournament, there was considerable anticipation for Abhishek Sharma, especially after his impressive showings in two IPL seasons, where he formed an explosive partnership with Australia’s Travis Head for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
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In the Asia Cup, Abhishek has amassed 309 runs at an average of 51.50 and a strike rate of 204.63, including three half-centuries and a top score of 75, all achieved in the Super Four stage.
He is just 11 runs short of breaking Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs by an Indian in a multi-nation T20I tournament.
Additionally, Abhishek needs 23 more runs to surpass England’s Phil Salt’s record for the most runs by a player from a Test-playing nation in a T20I series. Back in 2023, Salt scored 331 runs in five T20Is with an average of 82.75 and a strike rate of 185.95, including two centuries and a highest score of 119.
Abhishek is tied with Rohit Sharma (November 2021 to February 2022) and Rizwan (April to October 2021) for the most consecutive 30-plus scores in T20s, with seven such scores. Another 30-plus score could see him surpass these stars.
This year, Abhishek has shown both aggression and consistency in T20Is, scoring 588 runs in 11 matches at an average of 53.45 and a strike rate of 211.51, including a century and four half-centuries.
Overall, in T20Is, he has accumulated 844 runs in 23 matches at an average of 38.36, with a strike rate of 197.65, including two centuries and five half-centuries, with a highest score of 135.
Samson to Outshine Dhoni, Pant?
Sanju Samson has already made a mark with his performances, and a significant innings in the final against Pakistan could see him surpass the achievements of MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant in multi-nation T20I tournaments.
In the current tournament, Samson has scored 108 runs in three innings, with an average of 36.00 and a strike rate of 127.05, including a half-century and a top score of 56 against Oman. He has batted at number five twice, scoring 13 and 39, while his half-century came at number three. This tournament has seen him not open, with Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma leading the batting order.
With 64 more runs, he could surpass Pant for the best-ever performance by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter in a T20I multi-nation tournament. During the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Pant scored 171 runs in eight innings at an average of 24.42 with a strike rate of 127.61, with a best of 42.
Dhoni ranks second, having led India to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 with 154 runs in six innings at an average of 30.80 and a strike rate of 128.33, including a crucial 36 against Australia in the semifinals.
Samson is just 31 runs away from reaching the milestone of 1,000 T20I runs, having scored 969 runs in 48 matches at an average of 26.18, with a strike rate of over 149, including three centuries and three half-centuries, with a highest score of 111.
