Abhishek Sharma has established himself as one of the most explosive batters in world cricket.
India and Pakistan will square off in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group A clash on February 15. The marquee fixture will take place at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Ahead of the high-profile game, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has stirred a debate by terming India opener Abhishek Sharma as “slogger”.
Despite facing backlash from Indian fans for his remark on Sharma, Amir remained unmoved, reiterating his stance with conviction.
Since his debut in July 2024, Abhishek Sharma has established himself as one of the most explosive batters in world cricket.
The southpaw has played 39 T20Is so far, scoring 1297 runs at an incredible strike rate of 194.45, including two hundreds and eight fifties. Despite being aggressive in his approach, the left-hander has managed to maintain an impressive average of 36.02 as well.
Under Suryakumar Yadav-Gautam Gambhir regime, the Men in Blue have embraced a more aggressive approach in the shortest format, consistently outbatting their opponents and Abhishek’s quick starts have been critical in setting the tone.
However, Amir believes the left-hander has yet to be tested in challenging conditions or against top-tier bowling attacks.
“He is a slogger, that is how I see him. A player who cannot judge the line and defend the ball properly, can I call him a proper batter? He comes in and swings hard and it connects well for him right now," Amir said while speaking on a Pakistani show.
“But the day he (Abhishek) learns to handle tough lines and defend properly, I will change my opinion. You are playing on small grounds and flat wickets; you have not really been tested yet," he stated.
“Let him tour South Africa, New Zealand and England where the ball moves, that is where the real test will be. If he (Abhishek) succeeds there, I will be the first to call him a proper batter," he added.
Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma is currently recovering from a stomach infection, which ruled him out of the T20 World Cup 2026 Group A match against Namibia on February 12 in Delhi.
Despite being unwell on the day of India’s campaign opener against the USA in Mumbai, Abhishek showed immense courage and chose to play the game. However, he bagged a golden duck and didn’t come to field during the second innings.
After landing in Delhi, the southpaw’s health deteriorated and he had to be hospitalized. The stomach bug and high fever reportedly led to him losing a significant amount of weight and his participation in the Pakistan game remains uncertain as of now.