Abhishek Sharma stakes claim for Champions Trophy with 60-ball century
What's the story
Abhishek Sharma, a promising young cricketer, has bolstered his chances of being picked in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy squad. This comes after his stellar performance in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy match for Punjab against Saurashtra at the Gujarat College Cricket Ground in Ahmedabad. The left-handed opener scored a blistering 170 runs off just 96 balls, including 22 fours and 8 sixes. His strike-rate was an insane 177.08 during this innings.
Strategic alliance
298-run partnership with Prabhsimran Singh
During his phenomenal innings, Sharma also stitched a crucial 298-run opening partnership with Prabhsimran Singh. This tactical partnership further solidified Punjab's grip on the match. The latter ended up scoring 125 off 95 balls (11 fours and 8 sixes). Later, Anmol Malhotra (48*) and Sanvir Singh (40*) powered Punjab to 424/5 in 50 overs.
Career progression
Sharma's T20I debut and performance
Sharma is yet to play an ODI but has featured in 12 T20Is since making his debut in 2024. He has scored 256 runs in these matches, including a century and half-century. The Indian opener owns a staggering strike-rate of 171.81, showing he can be a dynamic top-order batter. Sharma rose to prominence in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, where he racked up 484 runs from 16 matches at a strike-rate of 204.21.
Squad speculation
Sharma's potential to replace Rohit Sharma
With India captain Rohit Sharma not in the best of form, Abhishek could be a strong contender for the Champions Trophy. But that cannot be confirmed at this stage. To make a place for himself in the squad, Abhishek needs to keep scoring big runs that selectors can't ignore. His recent performances have definitely put him in the spotlight as a potential candidate for the opening spot in ODIs.