NEW DELHI: Abhishek Sharma ended the 2025 season on a high with blistering performances right through the year. The left-handed opener has been one of India’s biggest positives in T20 cricket and the fifth T20I against South Africa in Ahmedabad was yet another reminder of his destructive ability at the top.
With a rapid knock of 34 runs, Abhishek moved to 1602 runs for the calendar year. That effort helped him become the second highest run scorer by an Indian in a T20 calendar year, going past several established names and finishing just behind the legendary Virat Kohli’s iconic 2016 season.
Here is the list of most runs in a T20 calendar year by Indians:
Virat Kohli – 1614 runs in 2016
Abhishek Sharma – 1602 runs in 2025*
Suryakumar Yadav – 1503 runs in 2022
Suryakumar Yadav – 1338 runs in 2023
Yashasvi Jaiswal – 1297 runs in 2023
India got off to a strong start in the fifth T20I as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson set the tone early. Abhishek attacked from the outset, scoring 34 runs off just 21 deliveries, an innings that included six fours and one six.
Sanju Samson, returning to the opening position, complemented him well with a fluent 37 off 22 balls. The duo stitched together a solid 60 run partnership for the first wicket, giving India early momentum and underlining the value of an aggressive opening combination in T20 cricket.
