Former cricketer Shikhar Dhawan holds the title for most sixes in a calendar year by a left-handed Indian batter. The southpaw achieved the feat in 2018, when he hit 25 sixes in 17 innings. However, he is very likely to lose the top spot to Abhishek Sharma in the upcoming Asia Cup. The young India batter has been stunning for the national team since his debut. There have been downs on a few occasions, but nothing has made him lose his spot as he is currently the number-one-ranked T20I batter.
As things stand, Abhishek now needs just four sixes to break Dhawan’s record. The Punjab batter has already hit 22 sixes in just five innings and in the Asia Cup, he is likely to surpass Dhawan. Notably, in 2024, Abhishek came close to the record as well, when he hit 19 sixes.
Abhishek sealed his place in playing XI
After the inclusion of Shubman Gill in the squad, doubts have started to settle in on Sanju Samson’s role. The keeper-batter may lose his opening spot, but Abhishek will keep his spot. The team management is convinced by the southpaw’s ability in the shortest format, and also, it will help the team with a left and right hand combination at the top of the order.
Meanwhile, the middle order looks stacked at the moment. Tilak Varma and captain Suryakumar Yadav is expected to feature at number three and four, while the number five spot is up for grabs. Three cricketers are currently auditioning for the role. Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh have always been in the mix and to add to that, Samson can be considered as well, given that the cricketer recently featured in the middle order in the ongoing edition of the Kerala Premier League. It won’t be surprising if the team management prefers Axar Patel as well.
