Abhishek Sharma, World No.1 T20I batter, walks the ramp at India Couture Week 2025 grand finale, fans surprised

NEW DELHI: Indian cricketer Abhishek Sharma on Wednesday evening surprised fans by unveiling his fashionable side as the showstopper at the grand finale of India Couture Week 2025 in the national capital.

The Punjab-born cricketer walked the runway for ace designer JJ Valaya, turning heads with his traditional ethnic attire. Decked up in an off-white knee-length kurta and churidar, Abhishek looked like a biba munda in the ethnic look. The kurta featured a floral embroidery pattern in pastel and earthy tones, elevating the overall ensemble.

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He paired the kurta with a matching floral jacket with a bandhgala collar. Giving a more traditional effect to his showstopper look, he walked the runway wearing Punjabi jutti.

Abhishek’s presence as the show opener for JJ Valaya drew significant attention, coming just hours after he was officially announced as the new World No.1 batter in the ICC T20I rankings.

With this feat, he has become the third Indian men’s player to hold the No.1 spot in the ICC rankings for batters. The 24-year-old left-hander has dethroned Australia’s Travis Head for the position.

Abhishek has played 17 T20Is, scoring two hundreds and two fifties with a strike rate of 193.84. His consistent performances against South Africa and England propelled him to the top spot, displacing Travis Head, who hadn’t played since September last year.

Other Indians in the top 10 include Tilak Varma at No. 3 and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 6, while Yashasvi Jaiswal is ranked 11th.

Abhishek only burst onto the international scene last year when he scored a superb T20I century against Zimbabwe, but more recent efforts against South Africa and England have seen the 24-year-old overtake Head at the top of the batter rankings and become the new No.1 in the shortest format. (ANI)