Ponting predicts top run-scorer for Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting has backed India’s flamboyant opener Abhishek Sharma to finish atop the run-scoring charts at the marquee tournament.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is predicting Abhishek Sharma to set the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 ablaze.
The ICC Hall of Famer has predicted that Abhishek will top the scoring charts at the marquee tournament and believes his lack of experience at ICC tournaments will not stop the in-form India batter.
“He's a star,” Ponting said in the latest edition of The ICC Review.
“I think it's (lack of experience) 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 (T20) World Cup for India.”
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A member of India’s ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup winning side in 2018, Abhishek is set to feature at his maiden T20 World Cup, starting February 7.
Ponting believes Abhishek will thrive on the big stage, recalling his initial meeting with the talented 25-year-old at the Indian Premier League when he was the coach of the Delhi Capitals.
“I was his first IPL coach,” Ponting said, recalling his time with Delhi Capitals. “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.”
“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 in this time.”
Abhishek has warmed up nicely for the upcoming tournament, piling on 152 runs in four matches against New Zealand in the ongoing T20I series.
In the third match of the series, the left-hander slammed a 14-ball fifty - the second-fastest by an India batter in the format. Abhishek’s knock stands second only to Yuvraj Singh’s 12-ball half-century in 2007 against England.
The 25-year-old will be key to India’s fortunes as they hope to become the first team to defend a Men’s T20 World Cup title. Placed in Group A along with Pakistan, USA, Namibia and the Netherlands, India open their campaign on February 7 against the USA.
