‘We think of Chris Gayle immediately’: Cheteshwar Pujara’s big statement on Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma and Chris Gayle (Image credit: Agencies) When Abhishek Sharma gets going, it is often difficult for bowlers to stop him. The left-handed batsman is known for his big sixes, aggressive start and ability to change a match in a few overs. Abhishek once again showed his striking skills in the third T20I against West Indies. He smashed 69 off just 30 balls to help India register a 14-run victory and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.His innings included six fours and five sixes. He reached his half-century in just 18 balls and registered his 14th T20I fifty.The performance earned praise from former India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who compared Abhishek’s ability in the shortest format to West Indies great Chris Gayle.
Pujara compares Abhishek Sharma to Chris Gayle
Pujara believes Abhishek has already established himself as one of India’s best T20 players. He also said that he will remember the young batsman’s name for a long time.“No one thought 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 JioStar.Pujara then compared Abhishek to Gayle, who was known for his explosive batting in T20 cricket. He also praised Abhishek for showing more maturity and understanding when to attack.“His name will be remembered for a long time. When we talk about the T20 format, West Indies’ Chris Gayle immediately comes to mind. Abhishek has that ability. The way he showed maturity, especially in Indore, by taking some time, even though five or six balls is a lot of time for him, it shows that he understands his game a little bit accordingly and recognizes the strength of the opponent better, recognizes the strength of the bat.” Hyderabad, he has played a lot on this ground and experience and knowledge matters, even in T20s,” said Pujara.
Abhishek crosses 2000 T20I runs
The third T20I against West Indies was another milestone for Abhishek. He became the sixth Indian cricketer to score 2,000 runs in T20 Internationals. He also became the fastest batsman in men’s cricket to reach the milestone in terms of number of balls.At the Holkar Stadium in Indore, Abhishek scored his 69 runs off 30 balls in a batting 230. His aggressive start helped India post 223 runs, though the team lost some momentum after his partnership with Ishan Kishan.West Indies managed to reply with 209/7, giving India a 14-run win. The win gave India a 2-1 lead in the series. Another win in the fourth T20I on Wednesday would clinch the series for the hosts.
The sixth batsman from India to join the 2000-run club
Abhishek has scored 2,036 runs in 65 T20Is and 64 innings at an average of 32.83 and a strike rate of 195.95. His record includes three centuries and 14 half-centuries, with a highest score of 135 not out.
The next five Indian players to cross 2000 T20I runs are:
- Rohit Sharma – 4,231 runs
- Virat Kohli – 4,188 runs
- Suryakumar Yadav – 3,272 runs
- Hardik Pandya – 2,288 runs
- KL Rahul – 2,265 runs
Abhishek continues his impressive run in 2026
Abhishek continued to score in 2026 despite several setbacks. He made 921 runs in 32 matches and innings at an average of 29.70 and a strike rate of 206.50. His record includes one century and eight half-centuries. His score of 108 is the fastest T20I century by a Test nation batsman.Abhishek has also hit 68 sixes in T20Is this year, equaling India’s T20 World Cup captain Suryakumar Yadav for sixes in a calendar year.However, Abhishek hit a six every 6.55 balls, compared to Suryakumar’s one every 9.13 balls.It was the seventh time he had scored a fifty in the first six overs of a T20I. No other batsman has accomplished this more than twice. His latest performance further highlighted his ability to put opposition bowlers under pressure and give India a strong start in T20 cricket.