Former India batter Mohammad Kaif praised Abhishek Sharma’s batting approach, while drawing a comparison with veteran Chris Gayle. Kaif’s comments came after the third match of Team India’s ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, where Abhishek scored an unbeaten 68 off just 20 balls as well.

During a discussion on his YouTube channel, Kaif said, “Usually, players who play like him are not consistent. I’ve seen many big-name players like this. Chris Gayle, who used to play in a similar way, always going for the big shots. But even Chris Gayle played smart cricket. Gayle also used to play maiden overs. Gayle would play the first over carefully, 6-7-8 balls on Bangalore pitch, where there was some early help for the bowlers, he used to play carefully and then accelerate.”

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“Abhishek Sharma has surpassed that. He doesn’t need to settle his eyes, he attacks straight away. So you can’t praise him enough. The point is, batters like this are usually inconsistent. One inning they’ll perform, the next three they’ll struggle, then one good comeback, then another poor run. But look at Abhishek Sharma’s style. He proves himself in every match. Even if he faces just 12-14 balls, he scores 60-70 runs. That alone makes him the match-winner for the team. Even if other players fail, if Abhishek Sharma is on, India is almost certain to win,” he further added.

However, Mohammad Kaif also praised Abhishek Sharma’s consistency despite his aggressive style of batting.

“Abhishek Sharma is batting at a strike rate of 200, 300 sometimes. When a player bats at a strike rate of 250-300 and tries to hit a boundary every ball, he can never be consistent. A player who hits every ball for a boundary, who uses his feet to play shots, who pulls spinners to the leg side, cannot be consistent. But Abhishek Sharma is doing it. I am amazed, I am stunned at how he is able to do this repeatedly. I even pray, like, put some kind of protection on him (Kala tikka laga do) so that nothing bad happens, because the World Cup is coming, and he is in great form, which is crucial as India is a strong contender to win,” he said.

“I pray that his form stays like this, but I am also astonished by the pace he’s playing at with no weakness. You bring in a leg-spinner, he will hit him initially. You bring in an off-spinner, he will play off the back foot. Fast bowling, the very first ball, like in the Asia Cup against Pakistan, the first match, Shaheen Afridi. That was a pressure match. Usually, when a player plays against Pakistan, he is a little nervous, a little hesitant because of the hype and pressure, and somewhere he slightly changes his game. Abhishek Sharma does not,” Mohammad Kaif concluded.