Former Indian batter Subramaniam Badrinath has rated Abhishek Sharma as No.1 T20 batter in the world right now after India registered a six-wicket win against New Zealand in the third T20I at the Hnry Stadium, Wellington, on Tuesday. Abhishek reached his fifty off just 15 balls as he was able to get off the blocks in the Powerplay overs, in which India posted 118 runs.
The left-hander eventually went on to score a magnum opus knock of 113 runs off 38 balls, including nine fours and 11 sixes. This is Abhishek’s fourth T20I century as he once again proved his mettle.
The southpaw added 133 runs off just 43 balls with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who scored 45 runs off just 19 balls, for the opening alliance.
Badrinath said Chris Gayle is regarded as the best T20 openers but in modern-day cricket, he feels Abhishek Sharma is certainly one of the best, if not the best.
“One T20 opener who we always remember is Chris Gayle. We have seen many times that there is no other opener as dynamic as he is. But now, if you take modern-day T20 cricket, it is Abhishek Sharma. He may not have a physically enduring appearance like Gayle, but his game is definitely very imposing and aggressive. We can say that he is on another level. For me, in modern-day T20 cricket, he is one of the best openers. What a performance this has been. It is very difficult for any team playing against India. No matter how much they score, 200 or 250, any score is not safe in front of this batting line-up. And the main reason for that is Abhishek Sharma. The team is in a good mindset as they are playing and winning this way. For me, Abhishek is the No.1 T20 batter in the world right now,” Badrinath said in a video on his YouTube channel.
The fourth T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Eden Park, Auckland, on Friday.
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