New Delhi: Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara recently heaped praise on Abhishek Sharma, comparing his ability to that of the legendary Chris Gayle.
One of the most explosive opening batters in T20s at present, Abhishek has been a consistent performer for .
The swashbuckling left-hander recently became the fastest batter to complete 2,000 runs in T20Is in terms of deliveries taken. He achieved the feat during his sensational 30-ball 69 in the third T20I against West Indies at the Holkar Stadium in Indore last week.
His 69-run knock helped India post a strong total of 223 runs on the board and secure a thrilling 14-run victory to go 2-1 up in the five-match T20I series. Lauding Abhishek after his batting heroics, Pujara said that the left-hander might be the greatest T20 batter to have ever played for India.
He compared his ability to that of West Indies legend Gayle, who was known for his big-hitting prowess. Pujara also backed Abhishek to continue his fine form in the penultimate 4th T20I against West Indies in Hyderabad, where he did exceptionally well for his franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.
“Nobody thought that he would cross such a big milestone 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,” Pujara said on JioHotstar.
“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. The way he showed maturity, especially in Indore, by taking a little time, even though five-six balls is a lot of time for him, shows that he is understanding his game a little better, recognising the opposition’s strengths, and batting accordingly. Now, in Hyderabad, he has played a lot on that ground, and that experience and familiarity matter, even in T20s,” he added.
Abhishek Sharma dominating run-scoring charts in 2026
Abhishek has been dominating run-scoring charts for India in T20Is in 2026. He is currently second on the list of batters with the most runs in T20Is this year. Abhishek has scored 921 runs in 32 matches at a strike rate of over 206 and is only behind his India teammate Ishan Kishan (1122) in the list of the highest run-getters in 2026 so far.