T20 World Cup 2026: 'I haven't seen anyone doing that except Chris Gayle' - Ex-Sri Lankan batter's huge praise for Abhishek Sharma before IND vs PAK

Former Sri Lankan batter Chamara Kapugedera opined that Abhishek Sharma has played a significant role in India's success since last year in the shortest format of the game.

Kapugedera, who played in the 2011 ODI World Cup final, drew parallels between Abhishek and legendary former West Indies opener Chris Gayle. The 38-year-old said that no one can replace the Punjab batter in the current Indian team.

"India's success in the last one year, (has) mainly depended on Abhishek Sharma, the star because the way he batted the past year, I think that's phenomenal. I haven't seen anyone doing that except for Chris Gayle when we were starting. I don't think anyone can replace Abhishek Sharma at the moment in the Indian team," Kapugedera was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.

While Kapugedera acknowledged Sanju Samson's batting prowess, he mentioned that Abhishek's ultra-aggressive approach gives the Men in Blue several options as a batting unit.

"Yes, Sanju (Samson) is a great player. We have seen him scoring 100s, but the way Abhishek scores runs, it gives India so much of freedom to play around him or do whatever they want actually in the middle overs. So, what Abhishek gives is important to India going forward in this (T20 World Cup) campaign, especially for getting into the final," the cricketer-turned-expert opined.

There's no advantage for Pakistan: Kapugedera

Pakistan have played two matches in the ongoing T20 World Cup and both of them were at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. It is the same venue which will host the marquee clash between India and Pakistan on Sunday, February 15. While some experts believe that the Men in Green will have a slight advantage as they know the conditions better than India, who will be playing their first game in Sri Lanka in the global event, Kapugedera dismissed that school of thought. He backed Suryakumar Yadav and Co. to win the match.

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"There's no advantage for Pakistan in the game here as the conditions in Colombo may not necessarily offer steep bounce. Unlike the SSC (Sinhala Sports Club) surface, known for sponge bounce and carry, the Premadasa wicket is generally lower and slower, often gripping as the game progresses," opined Kapugedera.

"I think going into the match, India will be the favourites, but the way Pakistan is playing, it's going to be a very close game," he said.