As India prepare to face Sri Lanka in their final Super Four stage clash in the Asia Cup on Thursday, Indian opener Abhishek Sharma and spinner Kuldeep Yadav are on the brink of achieving two historic T20I Asia Cup milestones.
India has already secured a spot in the Asia Cup finals following victories over Pakistan and Bangladesh. They will play against Sri Lanka, who have been eliminated after two losses, aiming to end their Super Four run undefeated and go into the final with full momentum. For this, Abhishek’s strong opening and Kuldeep’s effective spin will be crucial.
What Record Can Abhishek Sharma Break?
In five matches, Abhishek has scored 248 runs in five innings with an average of 49.60 and a strike rate of 206.66, including two half-centuries and a top score of 75. He is the
leading run-scorer in the ongoing Asia Cup. He is just 34 runs short of surpassing Pakistan’s Mohammed Rizwan, who scored 281 runs in six innings at an average of 56.20 and a strike rate of 117.57 with three fifties in 2022, for the best-ever T20I Asia Cup by a batter.
Abhishek could also break Virat Kohli’s record of 275 runs in six innings at an average of 92.00, with a strike rate of nearly 148, including a century and two fifties in the same tournament, for the best T20I Asia Cup by an Indian batter.
Abhishek’s combination of consistency and aggressive play has been exceptional this year, scoring 527 runs in 10 T20Is at an average of 52.70 and a strike rate of over 213, including a century and three fifties, with his best performance being a 54-ball 135 against England in Mumbai. He has hit 47 fours and 39 sixes this year.
What Record Can Kuldeep Yadav Break?
Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav, the leading wicket-taker in this tournament with 12 wickets in five matches at an average of 8.08 and an economy rate of 5.65 and best figures of 4/7, is just one wicket away from surpassing UAE’s Amjad Javed, who took 12 wickets in seven innings during the 2016 edition, for the best-ever T20I Asia Cup by any bowler.
Taking three more wickets will make him India’s top wicket-taker in the tournament, surpassing Hardik Pandya’s 14 wickets. A five-wicket haul could make him the highest wicket-taker in the tournament history across three T20I editions, overtaking Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga, who has 16 wickets.
(With inputs from ANI)
