Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra took up the “stay silent until you hear” challenge on a more explosive T20 batter than Indian stalwart Abhishek Sharma. The Indian finally broke his silence on the RCB star after having remained silent on a fairly large pool of batters.
India have excelled in the T20I format since the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. Not for a single day did India feel the void of former captain Rohit Sharma and veteran batter Virat Kohli in the shortest format of the game, and the due credit goes to the new generation of Indian batters.
Abhishek Sharma made a name for himself at the top of the Indian batting order. He was picked following the explosive 2024 IPL season for the Sunrisers Hyderabad side and has never been dropped since then. Sharma also turned the second-fastest for India to reach 1000 T20I runs for India.
Abhishek Sharma takes India home with an exciting knock in Guwahati
Abhishek Sharma has not spared any team in the world. The left-handed opener for India is known to make the best use of the powerplay. He has scored runs fearlessly in South Africa, Australia, India and whichever nation or opposition he has played in and against.
The left-hander was also India’s highest run-scorer in the Asia Cup. Despite 1000-plus runs, Abhishek boasts a career strike rate of over 195. In 36 matches, he has scored 1267 runs at an average of 38.39 and has two centuries to add to his eight half-centuries for India.
He started the series against NZ on a commanding note with a firing innings of 84 runs off 35 balls and later summed up another impactful performance of 68* runs off 20 balls in the third game at Guwahati, where India sealed the series against New Zealand.
Aakash Chopra names ‘More Explosive T20 Batter’ than Abhishek Sharma
Aakash Chopra, the former Indian batter, was given a challenge to remain silent until he hears the name of a batter who was more explosive than India’s Abhishek Sharma currently is. The presenter went on to name several modern-day batters, and Chopra’s choice would not shock you.
The presenter, though, did not name players like Shahid Afridi, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Glenn Maxwell, as they might be designated as all-rounders and not batters. However, he named several big names like Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers, Virender Sehwag, Nicholas Pooran, Heinrich Klaasen, David Warner, Adam Gilchrist and more that tempted Chopra to speak, but he did not.
He finally spoke up when the Universe Boss, Chris Gayle’s name, was taken. Aakash Chopra reasoned that Gayle had been doing it more consistently for over two decades, and he finished as the leading run-scorer of the format.
“It’s the universe, boss. He did that for a long period of time. A decade. Abhishek might actually overtake him eventually, but now it’s Universe Boss,” said Aakash Chopra.
Wait for it 😏 pic.twitter.com/km3da5R9Rv
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 26, 2026
Will Abhishek Sharma get a new opening partner in Ishan Kishan?
The Indian opener has been unstoppable from his end, but ever since 2025, he has not found a dashing opening partner who can score from the other end. First Shubman Gill and now Sanju Samson have failed to score at the top.
Ishan Kishan, who has been slotted in at no. 3 for India, found some great touch and can be ideal to be paired alongside Abhishek at the top of the order. The two destructive batters in the power play can be threatening for any opposition.
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