Even though the final match against Pakistan saw Abhishek Sharma dismissed for a mere five runs, his prior performances had already cemented him as India’s key player in their victorious Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 campaign. Sharma had consistently stunned opponents with his aggressive and impactful batting throughout the tournament.
Sharma consistently delivered explosive starts for India and forged vital partnerships with vice-captain Shubman Gill, setting the stage for many victories. He concluded the tournament with an impressive 314 runs across seven matches, boasting an average of 44.85 and a sensational strike rate of 200.
His exceptional performance rightfully earned him the coveted Player of the Tournament award, a first in his career, along with a brand-new car as a prize.
As Abhishek accepted his award, his childhood friend and India’s T20I vice-captain, Shubman Gill, enthusiastically cheered for him. In a moment that quickly went viral, Gill was heard affectionately yelling, “Oye Raju da munda!”—a fond reference to Abhishek’s father, Rajkumar Sharma. Abhishek later shared this heartwarming clip on his social media.
Reflecting on his achievement during the post-match presentation at the Dubai International Stadium, Abhishek remarked, “Getting a car is always a pleasure (smiles). Getting into this team after winning the World Cup was not easy for any opener. We had a plan that we had to play our game and show our intent from the first ball. We worked really hard on that.”
Sharma also gratefully acknowledged the crucial support from Captain Suryakumar Yadav, the coach, and the entire support staff, all of whom were instrumental in his consistent excellence throughout the tournament.
He elaborated on the importance of backing from leadership, stating, “If you play like this, you need special support from the coach and captain, and that is what I have been getting. If I do well and get those impact innings for the team, we should win. If you want to play like this, you will get failures – that is, the team you have to realize that if you play like this, you will win games for your team as well, and just follow the process.”
The 25-year-old Punjab-born opener revealed his clear strategy: to aggressively attack bowlers from the first ball and fully exploit the Powerplay’s fielding restrictions.
“I had a plan for adjusting to different surfaces, and I made sure to utilize the Powerplay fully,” Abhishek explained. “Whether facing spinners, fast bowlers, or any premium pace attack, my mindset was always to go after the first ball. This approach helped me make an impact for the team, and it paid off.”
Despite early dismissals for Abhishek, Shubman Gill, and Captain Suryakumar Yadav in the chase, Tilak Varma heroically anchored India’s five-wicket win with an unbeaten 69 runs. He was ably assisted by contributions from Sanju Samson (24) and Shivam Dube (33).
The foundation for India’s triumph was initially set by a stellar bowling performance. The Indian attack, spearheaded by Kuldeep Yadav (4-30), Varun Chakravarthy (2-30), and Axar Patel (2-26), brilliantly collapsed Pakistan’s strong start of 113/1, restricting them to a total of 146 all out.