3 reasons why India giving Abhishek Sharma an ODI callup for AUS vs IND 2025 ODIs would be the wrong move

In-form Indian opening batter Abhishek Sharma is basking in the spotlight amid a sensational Asia Cup 2025 campaign. His ruthless aggression and consistency have propelled him to the top of the T20I rankings for batters in just his first year of international cricket.

According to a recent report by the Times of India, the team management wishes to tap more into the youngster and are interested in making him a candidate for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, away from home.

As a precursor, the opening batter has also been named in the India 'A' squad for the second and third unofficial ODIs against Australia, scheduled to be played in Kanpur, right after the Asia Cup 2025 campaign.

On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why India giving Abhishek Sharma an ODI call-up for AUS vs IND 2025 ODIs would be the wrong move.

#1 Team India do not need another variable to an already existing conundrum

Despite being the current Champions Trophy holders, and a strong 50-over unit from top to bottom, India still have some unanswered questions in the long run leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup. One of the most pertinent ones concerning the makeup of the top order.

Since there is still no clarity regarding Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's long-term future, India are meandering through a zone of uncertainty. With Shubman Gill already locked down to one of the two opening spots, and a more-than-ready Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting to break through, adding another prospect in the form of Abhishek Sharma at this stage is a recipe for trouble.

More competition for the role is the last thing India need at the minute, when they are seeking some transparency. The Men in Blue are already facing the burden of too many opening batter candidates in their T20I plans, and introducing the same headache into the ODI setup is unnecessary and easily avoidable.

If Rohit Sharma intends to go the distance in his twilight years, Team India will have three well-established openers in their squad, including Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Abhishek Sharma's potential introduction to this setup will obviously make him the fourth choice in the pecking order, despite his incredible potential. That hardly helps the team's cause, or his, even for the sake of experience.

#2 Fast-tracking just for the sake of it is prone to backfiring

Fast-tracking a player is usually based on either need or potential. As much as there is potential in Abhishek Sharma's case, the need factor is not quite there.

When potential supersedes need by a considerable margin, the fast-tracking of players becomes a tendency to maximise the player's ability rather than it fitting into the team's plans. Although it may seem like an obvious natural progression, in the current scheme of things, it is not. In fact, it comes across as forced, if not anything else.

In select instances, fast-tracking also becomes a massive gamble. On one perspective, there is a huge upside, especially if the player clicks and settles in straightaway. But the risk factor is also as significant. Since India stands to lose more than gain with this particular experiment, they are better off confining Abhishek Sharma to where he is well-settled rather than introducing him to new pastures.

#3 India need to preserve Abhishek Sharma as a T20I specialist for as long as they can given the current priority

Team India have been torn between having all-format stars and format specialists for a while now. They tried integrating Suryakumar Yadav into all formats, an experiment which backfired, rather spectacularly. Taking a lesson from that, and other such candidates, they are better off letting the players who have the potential to be a format specialist, just be.

Abhishek Sharma's skill set clearly dictates that he is tailor-made for the shortest format. The fact that he plays List A and first-class cricket does not change that fact. With India's current biggest priority being the 2026 T20 World Cup, they should ensure that the biggest assets in that particular setup remain as untampered as possible.

Modern-day players are more than capable of adapting, especially shuffling between the white-ball formats, but when India have the luxury of confining players to their strongest format because of their immense depth, why not make the most of it?