3 Shikhar Dhawan records Abhishek Sharma can break in T20Is

Team India's latest young sensation Abhishek Sharma started his international career on a blistering note with a sparkling century in only his second game. The 23-year-old rebounded from a four-ball duck on debut with a 47-ball century in the second T20I of the five-match series against Zimbabwe in Harare on July 7.

Abhishek broke several records during his knock, including becoming the fourth youngest Indian batter to score a T20I century and the joint third-fastest to a T20I ton. The youngster also set the Indian record for the least innings taken for a T20I century with two.

After a breathtaking IPL 2024 season with 484 runs at a strike rate of over 2024, Abhishek cemented himself as one of the best next-generation batters to look out for from India with his Zimbabwe century. He has also already drawn comparisons with one of India's white-ball legends, Shikhar Dhawan, with his attacking batting and left-handedness.

Lest we forget, Dhawan has amassed several incredible numbers in his illustrious career to establish himself among India's all-time greats. While comparisons may seem far-fetched, Abhishek's start has fans and experts believing that the Punjab-born batter can eventually beat some of Dhawan's T20I records.

On that note, here are three Shikhar Dhawan records Abhishek Sharma can break in T20Is.

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#1 Most T20I runs by an Indian left-hander

Shikhar Dhawan may only be India's fifth-leading scorer in T20Is with 1,759 runs but he is No.1 among left-handers. India's top four T20I scorers are all right-handers - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and KL Rahul.

Dhawan has amassed 154 runs more than Suresh Raina, who is second all-time in the leading run-scorers chart among Indian left-handers. With Abhishek Sharma starting his T20I career at just 23 and boasting a century already under his belt, his chances of becoming the Indian with the most runs as a southpaw are sky-high.

His stiffest competition for finishing as India's all-time leading run-scorer as a left-hander in T20Is might come from his potential opening partner in the future, Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The duo has the makings of another attacking left-handed opening partnership like Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden with Abhishek possessing a great chance of going past Dhawan for the most T20I runs as an Indian left-hander.

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#2 Most runs by a left-hander in a calendar year among full members

Another left-handed centric record of Shikhar Dhawan that Abhishek Sharma could break is the most runs in T20Is in a calendar year among ICC's full members. Dhawan's 689 T20I runs in 2018 is 18th all-time but the second most among southpaws.

Yet, he is second among left-handers behind only Simon Ssesazi of Uganda with 692 and 725 runs in 2022 and 2023. However, with Uganda not being a full member, Dhawan's 2018 season is the most productive in T20Is by a left-hander from a full-membered nation.

During the 2018 season, the 38-year-old smashed six half-centuries in 17 innings in T20Is at an average of 40.52 and a strike rate of 147.22. Considering Dhawan accomplished this feat with no three-figure scores and Abhishek already has a century, the latter could easily target and break Dhawan's 689-run mark.

There are also more T20Is being played in recent years and with the lack of left-handers in the top order among teams, Abhishek could accomplish this feat shortly.

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#3 Indian opener with most consecutive T20I innings without a duck

Shikhar Dhawan's duckless streak in T20Is could be the toughest challenge for Abhishek Sharma to break. After recording a duck in only his fourth T20I outing against the West Indies in 2014, the veteran left-hander always got off the mark until his final game in 2021.

Dhawan was dismissed for a golden duck against Sri Lanka in 2021, making it an incredible 61 innings without a no-score in T20Is. It is the second-longest span by an Indian batter behind only MS Dhoni and the ninth all-time.

However, among Indian openers, Dhawan's streak is the longest in T20Is and one Abhishek will do well to overtake. The youngster already registered a duck in his T20I debut yet with a tendency to not waste too many deliveries to get going, he could overcome the jitters several other batters face on zero.