The Belgian targetman looked a forlorn shadow of his best in the first seven months of the season, but a hat-trick in Tuesday's pulsating 3-3 draw with Queens Park Rangers confirmed he is back on top form.
Having scored only two goals in 18 league games after returning in October from a ruptured Achilles that ruled him out of the World Cup Benteke now has seven in his last five.
While his triple strike only gained Villa a point at home to relegation rivals QPR, with six games remaining the striker could yet prove crucial to his side on the run-in.
"Christian Benteke was very good, the second goal especially was excellent. We need him between now and the end of the season," boss Sherwood said on the BBC.
Villa were twice behind to QPR with Benteke's first two goals at Villa Park overturning Matt Phillips's opener for the visitors.
When goals from Clint Hill and Charlie Austin put QPR back in front, Benteke rescued a point with an excellent freekick seven minutes from fulltime.
The draw lifted Villa three points clear of the relegation zone in an increasingly congested battle to avoid the drop with three points separating Sunderland in 15th and Burnley in 19th.
"We know it is a hard situation and that every point is crucial," Benteke said. "We have just got to keep fighting."
(Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Justin Palmer)
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