"One Of India's Best T20 Players": Cheteshwar Pujara's Massive Praise For Abhishek Sharma

Cheteshwar Pujara has credited Shreyas Iyer's tactical awareness and India's disciplined bowling for successfully defending 223 in the third T20I in Indore, while identifying Abhishek Sharma's rapid rise to 2,000 T20I runs as a sign of his growing stature in the shortest format. Reflecting on India's response following their defeat in Ranchi, the former India batter highlighted the importance of leadership under pressure and the young opener's evolving understanding of T20 batting.

India's defence of the total in Indore demonstrated how a substantial first-innings score can be protected through meticulous planning and execution. For Pujara, the turnaround was not just about the bowlers delivering with the ball, but also about the captain recognising what had gone wrong in the previous match and responding with a clear strategy.

"I think India did a great job because they needed to come up with a good game plan after losing in Ranchi. As captain, Shreyas Iyer corrected those mistakes and was constantly talking to his bowlers about how to bowl and what strategies they could use to defend the total. The execution by the bowlers was spot-on. A captain always looks good when his players do their job for the team. But yes, Shreyas showed great maturity, and so did the Indian bowlers," Pujara told JioStar.

The former batter also turned his attention to Abhishek Sharma, whose arrival at the 2,000-run mark in T20 internationals has added another milestone to his burgeoning career. Pujara believes the speed with which the left-hander has reached the landmark underlines his impact on the format, drawing a comparison with one of the most iconic names in T20 cricket.

"Nobody thought he would reach such a major milestone so quickly. But the way Abhishek has performed, I think he is probably one of the best T20 players India has produced so far. His name will be remembered for a long time. When we talk about the T20 format, we immediately think of Chris Gayle from the West Indies.

"Abhishek has that kind of ability. The maturity he showed, especially in Indore, by taking a little time at the crease, even though five or six balls feels like a long time for him, shows that he is understanding his game better, recognising the opposition's strengths and batting accordingly. Now, in Hyderabad, he has played a lot of cricket at that venue, and that experience and familiarity can make a difference, even in T20s," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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