"He is batting on a different celestial plane” - Former keeper hails Abhishek Sharma for match-winning knock in IND vs BAN Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash

Former wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik hailed Abhishek Sharma for another match-winning knock in India's Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against Bangladesh. India beat Bangladesh by 41 runs and qualified for the finals.

Batting first, India posted a competitive total of 168/6. Explosive opener Abhishek Sharma once again got the team off to a fiery start. The left-hander smashed his second consecutive half-century.

Dinesh Karthik reckoned that Abhishek was batting on a different level. Speaking on Cricbuzz after the game, he said:

"He is just turning out to be a very strong opener. Somebody who is very trustworthy at this point of time. The fact that he is able to get runs on different pitches. He is very resilient and able to adapt to different conditions. To be fair, he is batting on a different celestial plane altogether."

Abhishek Sharma has taken India's batting approach in T20Is to another level. The team plays attacking cricket, looking to make the most of the first six overs. Dinesh Karthik lauded him for his ability to utilise the powerplay by having worked on his six-hitting ability.

"The trend was slowly getting there, where you needed to really press and push on as an opener, to make use of those six overs in the powerplay. What he's done phenomenally well, is his skill of his hitting sixes. Whenever he got the opportunity, he said he practised in big grounds with his dad, so hitting sixes in smaller grounds became very comfortable. The confidence with which he is hitting sixes sets him apart. There are players who find gaps and those who are sure of hitting the ball outside the boundary line and that he is right now. He is an extremely special asset to have," he added.

Abhishek slammed a 37-ball 75 at a strike-rate of 202.7. His terrific knock included six boundaries and five maximums. He was also awarded 'Player of the Match' for his sensational display with the bat.

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Abhishek Sharma is keeping big names away, feels Dinesh Karthik

In the same conversation, Dinesh Karthik also reflected that Abhishek Sharma has been so good that he is keeping big names away from the Indian T20I side. He highlighted the fact that Abhishek has been playing match-winning knocks with consistency and a similar approach.

"At this point in time in team India, the toughest to play would probably be the T20 format. That position where he is in is probably the toughest because everybody who is somebody playing this format is good at that spot. He is keeping out the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Sai Sudharsan. For him to reach a level where he is almost unanimously number one tells you the level that he has gone to. He is playing match-winning knocks consistently and still maintaining that high tempo," he said.

The young Indian opener is the leading run-getter in the Asia Cup 2025. He has scored 248 runs from five matches at an average of 49.60 and a strike-rate of 206.66 with two half-centuries.