Abhishek Sharma has been enjoying an outstanding run of form in T20 cricket, continuing to impress with his explosive batting for India. The left-handed opener from Amritsar scored a half-century in the Asian Games 2026 final before producing an impressive 69-run knock in the third T20I against the West Indies on October 11 in Indore.
During the match, Abhishek also crossed the 2,000-run mark in T20I cricket for India, becoming the fastest player in the world to achieve the milestone in terms of balls faced. His remarkable consistency since making his international debut in July 2024 has drawn praise from former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, who believes the young opener could become one of the greatest T20 players to represent the country.
Speaking on JioStar, Cheteshwar Pujara highlighted the speed at which Abhishek has reached the milestone and praised his impact in the shortest format. “Nobody thought that he would cross such a big milestone (of scoring 2,000 T20I runs) so quickly. But the way Abhishek has performed, I think he is probably one of the best T20 players the Indian team has had so far,” Cheteshwar Pujara said.
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Pujara believes Abhishek’s aggressive approach and match-winning ability could ensure that his name remains prominent in T20 cricket for years to come. Drawing a comparison with legendary West Indies batter Chris Gayle, he pointed out that Abhishek possesses the ability to influence games in a similar manner.
“His name will be remembered for a long time. When we talk about the T20 format, we immediately think of Chris Gayle from the West Indies. Abhishek has that kind of ability,” Cheteshwar Pujara added.
The former India batter also praised Abhishek’s growing maturity at the crease. Although the opener is known for his attacking style, his decision to spend a little more time assessing the conditions in Indore demonstrated an improved understanding of his game and the opposition.
Pujara noted that Abhishek is learning to recognise when to attack and when to exercise patience, an important quality for a batter who relies on an aggressive approach.
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Abhishek will have another opportunity to continue his impressive run when India face the West Indies in the fourth T20I on October 14 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The venue is familiar to the opener, who has represented Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League and played several matches at the ground. That experience could prove valuable as India look to strengthen their position in the five-match series.
