Ravi Shastri hails Abhishek Sharma as most impactful T20 World Cup player

Ravi Shastri: Abhishek Sharma Set to Be T20 World Cup’s Most Impactful Player

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has singled out Abhishek Sharma as the player to watch in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking at an ICC event in Mumbai, Shastri praised Abhishek’s confidence and rich form, calling him “one of the most dangerous batters in the world.”

Shastri’s remarks come after Abhishek’s stunning performance in India’s win over New Zealand in Nagpur, where he scored 84 off just 35 balls. Alongside captain Suryakumar Yadav, the duo added 99 runs in 47 balls, laying the foundation for India’s massive total of 238.

“Abhishek, without a shadow of a doubt, is the No. 1 T20 batsman in the world and in a rich vein of form,” Shastri said. “Last evening, he took the game away from New Zealand. His confidence is high, he’ll be backed by the home crowd, and if he takes off, India takes off.”

Abhishek first came into the limelight with a stellar 2024 IPL season and made his international debut with a century against Zimbabwe. Since then, he has been a mainstay in the Indian side, particularly excelling in the powerplay and against spin, helping India post multiple totals over 230.

India will open their T20 World Cup campaign on February 7, with Abhishek expected to play a pivotal role alongside Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, and other key players in the squad.

India’s T20 World Cup 2026 Squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan