Chris Gayle was one of the most feared batters of his generation. When he was in form, bowlers had no answers. The former West Indies star is the leading run-scorer in T20 cricket. He scored 14,562 runs in 463 matches. His average was 36.22. His strike rate was an incredible 144.75.
In the current era, Abhishek Sharma is showing similar dominance. The left-handed opener has been extremely hard to bowl to. He plays with fearless intent. Abhishek has already played 36 T20I matches.
His strike rate stands at a stunning 195.22. Former India batter Mohammad Kaif recently compared the two players. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif explained how Gayle used to build his innings. He also highlighted why Abhishek is different from most aggressive batters.
Mohammed Kaif explains why Abhishek Sharma is special
“Usually, players who play like him are not consistent. I’ve seen many big-name players like this. Chris Gayle, who used to play in a similar way, always going for the big shots. But even Chris Gayle played smart cricket. Gayle also used to play maiden overs. He would play the first over carefully, especially on pitches like Bangalore where there was early help, and then accelerate,” Kaif said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
“Abhishek Sharma has surpassed that. He doesn’t need to settle his eyes, he attacks straight away. So you can’t praise him enough. Batters like this are usually inconsistent. One good innings, then a few failures. But look at Abhishek’s style. He proves himself in every match. Even if he faces just 12–14 balls, he scores 60–70 runs. That makes him a match-winner. If Abhishek Sharma is on, India are almost certain to win,” he added.
Abhishek has been in great form against New Zealand. He is the second-highest run-scorer in the ongoing T20I series. He has scored 152 runs in three innings. His average is 76. His strike rate is a massive 271.43. india have already taken a 3-0 lead. The series has two matches remaining.
