Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik applauded Abhishek Sharma for another match-winning knock in India’s Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against Bangladesh as well. India defeated Bangladesh by 41 runs and qualified for the finals as well. Batting first, India posted 168/6, where swashbuckling opener Abhishek Sharma once again provided a fiery start as well.

Speaking on Cricbuzz after the game, Dinesh Karthik 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.”

“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 further added.

However, Dinesh Karthik also said that Abhishek Sharma has been so good that he is keeping big names away from the Indian T20I team as well.

“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,” Dinesh Karthik concluded.