Ricky Ponting has predicted a breakout T20 World Cup for India opener Abhishek Sharma, highlighting the young batter as a potential leading run-scorer and even Player of the Tournament. The former Australia captain’s confidence in Sharma stems from a long-standing belief in his talent, dating back to their time together in the Delhi Capitals squad during the 2018 IPL season.
“I was his first IPL coach. He debuted with me, I think as a 17-year-old at Delhi and made an immediate impact. I think he hit his first ball for four or six straight back over the bowler’s head with that classical sort of straight bat and held the pose. And you could just see then as a 17-year-old that there was something extra special,” Ponting said on ICC Review.
“We ended up trading him away from Delhi, but I pleaded and pleaded and pleaded and said, please don’t do this. We’ve got to [keep him], there’s an absolute superstar in the making here. And that’s what it’s turned out to be. I’ve got really high hopes for him this time,” he added.
Abhishek’s IPL debut was memorable, a swashbuckling 19-ball 46* for Delhi Capitals. However, he featured in only two more innings before being traded to Sunrisers Hyderabad as part of a deal for Shikhar Dhawan. Since joining Sunrisers in 2019, Abhishek has accumulated 1,753 runs in 71 innings at a strike rate of 162.16, establishing himself as a key player in the franchise lineup.
Ponting expects Abhishek to dominate T20 World Cup 2026
Internationally, Abhishek has carried that form into T20Is. Since his debut in July 2024, he has played 37 innings, scoring 1,297 runs at an average of 37.05 with a strike rate of 194.74. His record includes two centuries and eight fifties, highlighted by a 14-ball half-century against New Zealand, which stands as India’s second-fastest in T20Is. Now, Ponting believes that Abhishek’s performance could be decisive for India’s World Cup campaign.
“[It’s] a real positive to be honest. He can be the leading run-scorer and potentially the Player of the Tournament. That’s how good I think he is. And if he does, that makes India even harder to beat. If he doesn’t, then they’re as vulnerable as anybody else. So that’s how important I think he is to this World Cup for India,” the former Australia captain added.
Defending champions India will kick off their T20 World Cup journey on February 7 in Mumbai against the USA, with Abhishek Sharma expected to play a central role in the team’s quest to retain the title.
</div>
