As the cricket world counts down to the India vs Pakistan showdown in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the spotlight has shifted to India's dynamic opener, Abhishek Sharma.
Former Sri Lankan batter Chamara Kapugedera has sparked a massive debate by comparing the young southpaw to the legendary Chris Gayle.
Abhishek Sharma can emulate Chris Gayle!
Over the last 12 months, Abhishek Sharma has become the backbone of India's aggressive T20I strategy. His ability to dominate the powerplay has drawn parallels to the "Universe Boss" himself.
Kapugedera, a 2011 World Cup finalist, highlighted Abhishek's unique value to NDTV Sports:
"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. "
While stars like Sanju Samson provide stability, Kapugedera argues that Abhishek's "ultra-aggressive" profile offers India unparalleled tactical flexibility. By attacking from ball one, he creates a "vacuum of pressure," allowing the middle order to dictate the game's tempo.
"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," Kapugedera explained.
India vs Pakistan: The Colombo Pitch Factor
The high-stakes clash takes place on Sunday, February 15, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Despite Pakistan's recent experience at this venue, Kapugedera dismisses any "home" advantage for the Men in Green, citing the specific nature of the surface:
"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 concluded.
