Former England captain Kevin Pietersen lavished immense praise on India's explosive opener Abhishek Sharma, making a bold claim about his prowess in the shortest format. Pietersen declared the 25-year-old Indian star as the most complete opening batter in T20 cricket today. He went on to label the young gun as fearless, courageous, and talented.
Abhishek has been a force to be reckoned with since making his T20I debut for Team India in July 2024, quickly setting the stage on fire. His outstanding performances have cemented his place as the first-choice opener and have propelled him to become the No. 1-ranked player in the ICC Men's T20I Batting Rankings. This success follows a period of sensational form, where he recently won the Player of the Series award in the five-match series against Australia, shortly after being named the Player of the Tournament in the Asia Cup 2025.
In his overall T20I career, Abhishek Sharma has played 29 matches for Team India, accumulating 1012 runs at an impressive average of 37.48 and a blistering strike rate of 189.51. His tally includes two centuries and six fifties, underscoring his consistency and explosive flair at the top of the order.
"Not surprised at all by this. Abhishek is the most complete opening batter in T20 cricket. Fearless, courageous and talented!," Pietersen's post on X read.
Abhishek Sharma's record-breaking performance
Abhishek Sharma concluded the series as the leading run-scorer, showcasing exceptional form and consistency at the top of the order. Across five innings, he amassed a total of 163 runs at an impressive average of 40.75 and a blistering strike rate of 161.39. His stellar contribution included a vital half-century, with his highest score being a fluent 68, firmly establishing his dominance throughout the matches.
Abhishek becomes fastest to crack 1000 T20I runs
Beyond his series-leading performance, Abhishek also etched his name into the T20I record books. He became the fastest batter from a full-member nation to complete 1000 T20I runs, reaching the significant milestone in just 528 balls. He achieved this feat during the fifth T20I against Australia at the Gabba, Brisbane, surpassing two prominent names: India skipper Suryakumar Yadav (573 balls) and England’s Phil Salt (599 balls).