T20 World Cup
Australian great Ricky Ponting has backed India opener Abhishek Sharma to finish as the highest run-scorer at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. The former Australia captain believes the young left-hander’s current form and fearless approach could make him one of the standout performers of the tournament.
Ponting, an ICC Hall of Famer, feels that Abhishek’s limited experience at major ICC events could actually work in his favour rather than being a drawback. “Abhishek Sharma is a star,” Ponting said in the latest edition of The ICC Review. “I think it’s (lack of experience) a real positive to be honest. He can be the leading run-scorer and potentially the Player of the Tournament. That’s how good I think he is. And if he does, that makes India even harder to beat. If he doesn’t, then they’re as vulnerable as anybody else. So that’s how important I think he is to this (T20) World Cup for India,” he added.
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The 25-year-old Abhishek is currently ranked as the world number one T20 International batter and has been in remarkable form in the shortest format. He has scored 1,297 runs in 38 matches and 37 innings, averaging 37.05 with an explosive strike rate of 194.74. His T20I record already includes two centuries and eight half-centuries, underlining his ability to dominate bowling attacks from the outset.
Abhishek continued his strong run in the recently concluded five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home, where he finished as the third-highest run-scorer. He amassed 182 runs in the series at an average of 45.50 and a staggering strike rate of 249.31, hitting two half-centuries as India secured a convincing 4-1 series win.
India head into the 2026 T20 World Cup in strong form, having not lost a T20I series since lifting the trophy in 2024. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, the defending champions appear well settled and confident ahead of the title defence.
Placed in Group A, India will face Namibia, the Netherlands, the USA and arch-rivals Pakistan in the group stage. The Men in Blue will begin their campaign against the USA on February 7, followed by their match against Namibia on February 12. The much-anticipated clash against Pakistan is scheduled for February 15, before India conclude their group stage against the Netherlands.
India’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 includes Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh.
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