New Delhi: India opener Abhishek Sharma is on the cusp of joining the likes of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill in an elite list with a rare feat in the first ODI against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on Thursday, July 23. Abhishek is likely to open the innings with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi or Prabhsimran Singh for India in the opening match of the three-match series.
Abhishek stands only 16 runs away from completing 6000 runs in T20 cricket. If the swashbuckling left-hander manages to complete 6000 runs in the shortest format during the 1st T20I against Zimbabwe on Thursday, he will become only the fourth Indian batter to reach the milestone in 200 or fewer innings.
Former India captain Virat Kohli, current ODI skipper Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are the only other batters who have completed 6000 runs in T20s in 200 or fewer innings. Abhishek, who was part of India’s T20 World Cup 2026-winning squad, has so far notched up 5,984 runs in 199 innings in his T20 career.
He has played 53 matches for India in T20Is out of the 203 matches he has played in his career so far. The left-hander needs 16 runs against Zimbabwe on Thursday to complete the milestone of 6000 runs. Rahul holds the record for being the fastest Indian batter to 6000 runs in T20 cricket.
He completed the milestone in just 166 innings. Rahul is followed by Virat Kohli, who took 184 innings to complete 6000 runs in the shortest format. Gill is in the third spot, having completed the milestone in 185 innings. Abhishek will become the fourth-fastest Indian to 6000 runs if he manages to cross the mark in the first T20I against Zimbabwe.
Fastest Indian batters to 6000 runs in T20s (by innings)
- KL Rahul – 166 innings
- Virat Kohli – 184 innings
- Shubman Gill – 185 innings
The legendary Chris Gayle holds the record for being the fastest batter to 6000 runs in T20s overall. One of the most dangerous T20 openers of all time, Gayle completed the milestone in just 162 innings in his career. He is followed by Pakistan batter Babar Azam, who took 165 innings to complete 6000 runs in T20s.
India aim to return to winning ways against Zimbabwe
After suffering back-to-back T20I series defeats against Ireland and England on their recently concluded tour of the UK, India will look to return to winning ways in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. India lost all five of their completed T20Is against Ireland and England. Shreyas Iyer will be seraching for his first win as captain when India take on Zimbabwe in the first T20I on Thursday.
