By Parth Dhall | Oct 07, 2025, 11:14 PM
**Brian Lara Backs India’s Abhishek Sharma: Aiming for Test Squad After T20I Success**
Brian Lara, the legendary West Indies cricketer and former head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has revealed that India’s T20I sensation Abhishek Sharma is eager to break into the national Test squad. This comes on the back of Abhishek’s stellar performance in the 2025 T20 Asia Cup, where he further cemented his reputation as one of the most destructive openers in white-ball cricket.
Notably, Abhishek boasts an impressive T20I strike rate of 196.07, underlining his aggressive batting style.
### Lara’s Endorsement: Praising Talent and Influences
Having observed Abhishek closely during their time together at SRH, Lara lauded the young cricketer’s tremendous talent and determination. Speaking at the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai, Lara remarked:
> “He’s an amazing young player. They had a lot of great young players in that squad that I was with, not just Abhishek. But I think he’s something very special.”
Lara also credited former Indian star Yuvraj Singh for influencing Abhishek’s batting approach, contributing to his distinctive style at the crease.
### Abhishek’s Dominance in the 2025 Asia Cup
Abhishek was India’s leading run-scorer in the 2025 Asia Cup, accumulating 314 runs across seven matches at a staggering strike rate of 200.00. The left-handed opener notched three half-centuries and smashed 19 sixes during the tournament held in the UAE.
This outstanding performance made him the highest run-scorer in a single edition of the T20 Asia Cup. Additionally, he now holds the record for the second-most runs for India in any T20I series or tournament.
### Ambition Beyond White-Ball Cricket: Targeting the Test Team
Despite his tremendous success in T20 and 50-over formats, Abhishek aspires to become an all-format player by breaking into the Indian Test squad. Lara revealed:
> “What’s an amazing thing, you know, he would give me a call and even though with the success that he’s having in T20 cricket, he still wants to find a way to get into the Test team.”
Abhishek’s first-class record supports his ambition—with 1,071 runs from 24 matches at an average of 30.60, including one century and five half-centuries.
### Rising to the Top: ICC T20I Batter Rankings
Abhishek recently achieved a career milestone by reaching the highest-ever rating in the ICC Men’s T20I Batter Rankings. His match-winning performance during India’s semi-final victory over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup propelled him to a remarkable 931 rating points, surpassing the previous best of 919 held by Dawid Malan.
### The Lara-Abhishek Connection in Sunrisers Hyderabad
Abhishek’s T20I exploits coincide with his sustained backing by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. He has been a part of the Orange Army since the 2019 edition.
His breakout IPL season came last year when he scored 484 runs at an incredible strike rate of 204.21. Notably, his opening partnership with Australian star Travis Head broke several records.
Brian Lara served as part of SRH’s coaching staff between 2022 and 2023, further strengthening the link between the legendary batsman and Abhishek’s development.
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Abhishek Sharma’s journey reflects a determined cricketer rising through the ranks with the aspiration to excel across all formats of the game. With endorsements from icons like Brian Lara and continued strong performances, he remains one to watch in Indian cricket’s future.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/sports/brian-lara-heaps-praise-on-abhishek-sharma/story
