Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has heaped praise on India openers Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. While defending the left-handed opening batting combination, he added that the two players help India stamp their authority inside the powerplay by putting pressure on the opposition captain.
Speaking to Sports Tak‘s YouTube channel on Thursday (February 5), Gavaskar said:
“If Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma were to open, then both are left-handed opening batters. But in my opinion, if both left-handers start smashing six, then what would the opposition captain do? The way these two batters dominate the first six overs, they put their grip on the game.”
The 76-year-old further added that Sanju Samson is out of his luck, so he preferred Ishan Kishan, who is in scintillating form ahead of the T20 World Cup. He said in the same video:
“If Sanju Samson had good form, he would be the first-choice automatic pick. There is no doubt about his quality, but jab kabhi naseeb nahi hota (when it’s not in our destiny), form is not good, then it’s better to give opportunities to someone with destiny and form.”
Kishan recently slammed 103 runs off 43 deliveries against New Zealand in the fifth T20I. The wicketkeeper-batter finished with 215 runs in four innings, including 76 off 32 balls. The 27-year-old then slammed an unbeaten 53 off 20 balls against South Africa in the T20 World Cup warm-up game.
On the other hand, Sanju Samson managed 46 runs in five innings in the recently concluded T20I series against the Kiwis. He didn’t get to bat in the warm-up game.
“Tailor-made and made-to-measure team” – Sunil Gavaskar lauds India’s middle order batters, warns of complacency ahead of 2026 T20 World Cup
Sunil Gavaskar further lauded India’s middle-order batters for their ability to score runs at a quick pace, particularly Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Axar Patel. The cricketer-turned-commentator, however, warned the team of complacency while facing minnows like the USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands in their 2026 T20 World Cup group-stage games ahead of the knockouts. Gavaskar said in the same conversation:
“Tailor-made and made-to-measure team. What do you need? You need power hitters in the middle order. Someone who can score 25-30 runs in 10 balls. You have Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Axar Patel. Even Harshit can hit big sixes if included in the XI. It’s kind of a stepney. If you lose two quick wickets in four overs, then you have cushioning and balance. So, yeah, made-to-measure team.
He continued:
“What happens is that when you have Axar Patel at No. 6 or 7, and Shivam Dube is ready to bat at No. 7, then the opening batters or No.3 sometimes think that there are enough batters [depth] and then they can do anything. If they get out early, then that will build pressure. So, be cautious against that.
“Don’t be complacent about the fact that you think it’s a long batting order during the first three to four overs; I can do anything. If the matches against the USA and Namibia were close, then it would be good for India. I don’t want easy victories for Team India to tune up before knockout matches,” he added.
Notably, India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA in Mumbai on February 7.
Edited by James Kuanal
