Abhishek Sharma Missed Virat Kohli’s Record for Most T20 Runs by an Indian

The Indian opener Abhishek Sharma was ruthless in 2025. He scored 825 runs at a blazing strike rate of 195.03 in 20 T20I matches. Having set the tone at the top of the order, India won the Asia Cup 2025, beat Pakistan in the final, and won series against England and Australia, and now they are on their way to winning the five-match T20I series against South Africa. Abhishek Sharma has been in incredible touch.

Abhishek Sharma Was About To Break Virat Kohli Record in T20I

India's opener Abhishek Sharma was on the verge of breaking the huge 9-year record set by the former captain Virat Kohli in the IND vs SA 5th T20I match. This record was set by Virat Kohli in 2016 when he amassed 1,614 runs in 31 matches at an average of 89.66. Meanwhile, to break this record, Abhishek Sharma needed only 47 runs in the IND vs SA 5th T20I game. This year, Abhishek has scored 1,602 runs in 40 T20 innings and was about to score the most T20 Runs in year by Indian in the shortest format of the game. However, Corbin Bosch was the road blocker in between him and the record.

After South Africa sent India to bat first, Abhishek Sharma missed Virat Kohli’s Record for Most T20 Runs by an Indian as he lost his wicket on 34 runs. Abhishek has become the cornerstone of the Indian team's T20 cricket and has been the top scorer for Indian in T20I this year. Tilak Varma, who has amassed 494 runs before this match, is behind him. However, Abhishek Sharma T20 record will set a new milestone for other players to break in the coming years.

Abhishek Sharma Form

Abhishek Sharma's performance in the upcoming India-South Africa T20I series has been both promising and frustrating. During the first match at Cuttack, he was dismissed cheaply, despite India scoring 175 for six and winning by 101 runs. In the second T20I at New Chandigarh, Sharma played a brief cameo, scoring 17 from eight deliveries. His efforts featured a brace of maximums, one of which propelled him above 50 sixes in a single T20I calendar year, putting him among the top Indian six-hitters.

In a five-match series that has been locked evenly, India needs a steadier performance from its top and middle order, although Sharma's ability to change games in a few overs will remain a significant asset. Abhishek Sharma has been giving terrific starts in the power play but is again failing to convert them into big scores in the recent matches. However, he is the best T20 batsman in the world for a reason and will be looking forward to scoring big runs in the New Zealand series, and give a strong statement ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.