Dinesh Karthik: Abhishek Sharma’s power now guided by greater game awareness

Abhishek Sharma struck 69 off 30 as India defended 223 to beat the West Indies by 14 runs in the third T20I at Holkar Stadium in Indore on October 11, 2026, and former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik said the left-hander pairs raw aggression with smarter decision-making.

Karthik delivered his assessment on Cricbuzz after Abhishek’s innings, praising the opener’s evolution from pure power-hitting to a more consistent performer. “He's a fantastic opener. In him, India have someone who is extremely destructive against any attack. He can take it on in the big moments as well,” Karthik said. “He's got the skills, he's got the shots, and now he's become a consistent scorer of runs at that strike rate, which is what makes him so special,” he added.

Abhishek’s 69 came from 30 balls and included six fours and five sixes as India posted 223 all out at the Holkar Stadium. He and Ishan Kishan put together a 108-run opening stand, with Kishan contributing 37 off 18 deliveries. A middle-order collapse curtailed India’s momentum late in the innings, but the bowlers held firm to defend the total by 14 runs.

Arshdeep Singh played a key role with the ball, finishing with three wickets to restrict the West Indies. The victory gave India a lead in the five-match series.

The left-hander reached his half-century in 18 deliveries during the innings. He also became the fastest batter to 2,000 T20I runs by balls faced, achieving the milestone in 1,024 deliveries and surpassing Suryakumar Yadav’s previous mark of 1,164 balls.

Karthik pointed to Abhishek’s treatment of West Indies spinner Roston Chase as an example of his growing match awareness, saying: “He knocked the first couple of balls around and tried to assess what the pitch was doing. And then he went back to his attacking game.” Karthik also credited former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh for mentoring Abhishek, saying, “Abhishek Sharma is learning from the best, and you can see how he's able to pace an innings.” He added that Abhishek’s ability to score against strong opposition while maintaining consistency was particularly impressive.

The BCCI celebrated the innings on social media, tweeting: Abhishek Sharma looking unstoppable in Indore Updates https://t.co/0ve4uDWSIn #TeamIndia | #INDvWI | @mflone_ | @OfficialAbhi04 https://t.co/n93uV3DJcK— BCCI (@BCCI) October 11, 2026. Karthik summed up the challenge facing the youngster succinctly, saying: “He's doing it. That's why he's rated as one of the best players in the world,” he said.

Abhishek will have a chance to build on his Indore performance in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday, October 14, with India leading the series 2-1 and able to seal the five-match contest with a win in the next game.