Brief

Dinesh Karthik hails Abhishek Sharma’s 69‑off‑30 blast in India’s win over West Indies

Karthik called Sharma’s innings a ‘team‑fear’ factor after the opener’s 69 off 30 balls powered India to a 223 total.

By Felo News Desk · Published Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:26:47 GMT

Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik praised opener Abhishek Sharma’s 69 runs off 30 balls in the third India‑West Indies T20I at Holkar Stadium, Indore, on October 11, 2026. Karthik told Cricbuzz that Sharma’s speed and consistency make him a “team‑fear” for opponents and a “world super‑power” as an opener.

What happened

India posted 223 runs in their 20‑over innings, with Sharma’s blitz forming the backbone after an early loss of opening partner Sanju Samson. Sharma struck six fours and five sixes, becoming the fastest Indian to reach 2,000 T20I runs by balls faced. The West Indies chase fell short, securing a six‑wicket loss.

What the reports add

Karthik highlighted Sharma’s ability to maintain a high strike rate across conditions, noting his “positive outlook” and “destructive attack” in pressure situations. He also praised Sharma’s “consistent churner of runs at that strike rate.” Former captain Ajinkya Rahane, quoted via the same source, added that Sharma averages 32.83 at a strike rate of nearly 196 in 65 matches and “finds different methods to score runs” without losing momentum.

How it came about

The innings followed India’s earlier high‑scoring performances in the series, including Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 102 in the second T20I and a record chase by West Indies in Ranchi. Karthik’s earlier comments on team selection for the series were reported in Felo News on October 4, 2026.

Key facts

• Abhishek Sharma scored 69 runs off 30 balls for India (sportskeeda.com)
• India posted a total of 223 runs in the third IND‑WI T20I (sportskeeda.com)
• Dinesh Karthik called Sharma’s innings a ‘team‑fear’ factor (sportskeeda.com)
• Sharma became the fastest Indian to reach 2,000 T20I runs by balls faced (sportskeeda.com)
• Ajinkya Rahane praised Sharma’s consistency and strike‑rate of almost 196 (sportskeeda.com)

Sources

• [1] sportskeeda.com — originally reported as “"As a team, you fear it" - Dinesh Karthik's massive claim on Team India star amid IND vs WI 2026 3rd T20I”