Abhishek Sharma has been a revelation for India in the ongoing Asia Cup. As he continues to take the tournament by storm, a narrative has emerged. Social media is buzzing with claims that India’s current T20 success entirely hinges on their blazing opener. Remove Abhishek from the equation and the Indian side is nothing more than ordinary, the critics argue.
It is a seductive storyline: A youngster carrying the hopes of a nation on his blade. But it is fundamentally flawed and misreads what makes the current Indian unit special. The numbers paint a picture of sustained excellence that has been built on foundations far stronger than any individual performance.
The foundation that was already there
India’s 2024 T20I campaign reads impeccable. They have shown brilliant dominance in the season and long before Abhishek Sharma peaked and showed his heroics in the current Asia Cup, the team has established itself as a superpower in the format.
India's 2024 T20I Record |
| Wins: 24 |
| Losses: 2 |
| Win Rate: 92.31% |
| ICC Ranking: #1 |
The base of bowling excellence
In T20I cricket, it appears that a team with better firepower in batting is the stronger team. However, it is often the bowling of a team that turns the game and propels a team towards victory. The current Indian squad’s depth runs far deeper than the individual brilliance of any batter.
The team boasts of the presence of one of the best pacers and probably the most skilled individual in the death overs of T20 cricket, Jasprit Bumrah. The ace pacer’s economy of 6.33 across his career of 74 matches plays the anchor for the attack. The left-arm spinner, Kuldeep Yadav is their middle-over enforcer along with the mystery element from Varun Chakaravarthy. All-rounders, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube provide crucial balance to the team by adding depth to both the bowling and the batting department.
Evidence from Asia Cup 2025
{{/usCountry}}The team boasts of the presence of one of the best pacers and probably the most skilled individual in the death overs of T20 cricket, Jasprit Bumrah. The ace pacer’s economy of 6.33 across his career of 74 matches plays the anchor for the attack. The left-arm spinner, Kuldeep Yadav is their middle-over enforcer along with the mystery element from Varun Chakaravarthy. All-rounders, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube provide crucial balance to the team by adding depth to both the bowling and the batting department.
Evidence from Asia Cup 2025
{{/usCountry}}The recent performance of the Indian team validates the depth of the squad. Against Bangladesh in the Super Four match, India secured a commanding 41-run win while defending an apparently below par total of 168 runs. The win came through Kuldeep’s brilliance in the middle overs and the control by the pacers in the death, not solely on batting fireworks.
Key Asia Cup Performances |
| vs Bangladesh: Won by 41 runs (bowling-led) |
| vs Pakistan: Chased 172 with 7 balls spare |
| Pakistan restricted to: 171/5 |
Even in the chase against Pakistan, where the base was laid by Abhishek Sharma, earning him the Player of the match award, the architecture of the win was a collective effort. Tilak Varma showed maturity and game awareness closing down the game, while the bowling unit contained the Pakistan line-up even after a potentially dangerous start.
Abhishek Sharma’s impact in India’s journey
The value of Abhishek Sharma’s presence is undeniable. His powerplay brutality and tempo-setting have been spectacular. But this is an addition to the power of an already super power, it is not the foundation of India’s strength.
India’s supremacy in the format existed before him. Sharma’s contribution is the turbo boost that elevates the performance of the unit. The bowling unit and the batting depth of India has consistently carried match-winning equity even before the arrival of Sharma into the scene.
The ‘ordinary without Abhishek’ narrative crumbles when countered with concrete evidence. India’s dominance of T20 cricket in the previous season and their sustained excellence is impossible to be founded on the shoulders of a single player. The team has a multidimensional template: throughout sensible intent, spin squeeze, and elite death bowling. This remains intact regardless of the presence of a certain name and that makes them the current world’s best.