Abhishek Sharma Creates T20I History in ICC Ratings After Asia Cup Heroics, Overtakes Virat Kohli

Despite an impressive Asia Cup, Abhishek Sharma struggled in the final against Pakistan, getting dismissed after managing to score only five runs.

Abhishek Sharma Creates T20I History in ICC Ratings After Asia Cup Heroics, Overtakes Virat Kohli

Abhishek Sharma made history by acheiving 931 rating points, the highest by any batter on the ICC T20I Player Rankings. (via India Today)

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The 2025 Asia Cup was one to remember for Indian opener Abhishek Sharma, who created history by becoming the first batter to go past 930 rating points on the ICC T20I Batting Rankings. Sharma even overtook Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli’s previous records, on the rankings. 

Abhishek Sharma had a terrific outing with the bat at the 2025 Asia Cup, finishing with 314 runs in seven innings, at an average of 44.86 and a strike-rate of 200. The Indian opener, forging a new opening pair with T20I vice captain Shubman Gill, notched up three successive 30+ scores in the group stage, before shifting gears in the subsequent games, with three half-centuries in the ‘Super Four’ stage.

The left-hander’s 61 run-innings off just 31 deliveries against Sri Lanka, which included eight boundaries and two maximums, is what propelled his rating points to an all-time high on the ICC T20I Batting Rankings. The young Punjab-born opener, after a standout Player of the Series display, surged to 931 rating points which became the highest-ever achieved by a batter in the shortest format of the game.

Underscoring his dominance in the format, Abhishek Sharma, after the match against Sri Lanka, went past the past record holders, on the ICC T20I Batting Rankings. He surpassed the five-year old previous record of 919 rating points held by Englishman Dawid Malan, while also retaining the number 1 spot on the ICC Batting Rankings. With 926 rating points at the moment, Sharma is 82 points clear of second-placed Phil Salt, on the rankings leaderboard. 

Not just Malan, but the 25-year-old IPL star also overtook Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav’s record of 912 rating points, as well as Virat Kohli’s 2014-record of 909 rating points. Meanwhile, Tilak Varma held on to his third spot on the batting rankings, while ‘Sky’ dropped two places to be ranked eighth, after enduring a dismal Asia Cup campaign, where he only scored 71 runs in seven innings. 

In bowling, Kuldeep Yadav jumped nine spots to secure the 12th place on the rankings, after finishing as the highest wicket-taker at the 2025 Asia Cup. However, ace Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya dropped to second on the all-rounders rankings, losing the top spot to Pakistan’s Saim Ayub.

Abhishek Sharma Celebrates Asia Cup Win with Mentor Yuvraj Singh While Returning Home 

Abhishek Sharma returned home after India’s 2025 Asia Cup victory, while celebrating the historic triumph with mentor Yuvraj Singh on the way from the UAE. Sharma shared a picture of the heartfelt moment that he enjoyed with the 2011 World Cup-winning icon, on social media. 

Yuvraj Singh and Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma shared a heartwarming picture with his mentor Yuvraj Singh, following Asia Cup win. (via Free Press Journal)

Sharma had a stellar Asia Cup campaign with the bat, top-scoring 314 runs in seven innings. He won the Player of the Tournament award for his impressive batting display, even ahead of teammate Kuldeep Yadav, who was destined for the elite prize after having scalped 17 wickets in seven matches. Yadav bowled at a remarkable average of 9.29, including a four-wicket haul in the final against Pakistan.

Abhishek Sharma, on his way back home to India from Dubai, in order to take part in his sister’s wedding ceremony, caught up with his mentor Yuvraj Singh on the flight. He shared a picture with his idol, in which he was seen smiling while holding the POTS Trophy in his hand, while Singh stood proudly beside him. Sharma was mentored and trained extensively by Singh, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the left-hander, along with the POTS award, also received a $15,000 reward as well as a brand new Haval H9 SUV. Sharma will now be getting ready for his next major assignment, India’s upcoming white-ball tour to Australia, with rumors rife that he might get his ODI call-up soon. 

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