New Delhi, 14 October (H.S.): Former India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara believes Abhishek Sharma possesses the kind of talent that made West Indies legend Chris Gayle one of the most formidable batters in T20 cricket. Pujara said Abhishek’s performances in the shortest format would be remembered for years to come.

Ahead of the fourth match of the five-match T20 series between India and the West Indies, Pujara shared his views on Abhishek’s outstanding batting, Ishan Kishan’s role in the team and Naman Dhir’s bowling during JioHotstar’s programme ‘Game Plan’.

India took a 2-1 lead in the series after defeating the West Indies in the third T20 match in Indore.

The Indian team will now look to win the fourth match in Hyderabad and seal the series.

Reacting to Abhishek Sharma completing 2,000 runs in T20 internationals, Pujara said, “Nobody had imagined that he would reach such a significant milestone so quickly. However, given the kind of performances Abhishek has delivered, I believe he is already one of the finest T20 players to have represented India. His name will be remembered for a long time.”

He added, “Whenever we talk about the T20 format, the first name that comes to mind is West Indies great Chris Gayle. Abhishek possesses that same kind of ability. The maturity he displayed in Indore, where he took a little time to settle in before accelerating, was significant. For him, even five or six deliveries can feel like a considerable amount of time. However, this shows that he is developing a better understanding of his game, recognising the strengths of the opposition and adapting his batting accordingly.”

Pujara also said that playing in Hyderabad could offer Abhishek the advantage of familiar surroundings, given his experience at the venue.

“He has played a lot of cricket at this ground. In T20 cricket, familiarity with a venue and the experience of playing there also make a difference,” Pujara said.

Praising India’s strategy to defend a target of 223 runs in the third T20 match in Indore, Pujara commended captain Shreyas Iyer and the bowlers for their performance.

“I think India did a tremendous job because, after the defeat in Ranchi, the team needed to come back with a better strategy. Shreyas Iyer corrected the mistakes in his capacity as captain. He was communicating with his bowlers about how they needed to bowl and what strategy they should adopt to defend the total,” he said.

Pujara further stated, “The bowlers executed the plan exceptionally well. When players fulfil their responsibilities for the team, the captain also ends up looking good. However, Shreyas displayed considerable maturity, and the Indian bowlers performed equally well.”

Commenting on Ishan Kishan’s form in the series, Pujara said the batter had been fulfilling the team’s requirements while batting at number three. He explained that, with several aggressive batters in the top order, it was not necessary to expect a big innings from Kishan in every match.

Pujara said, “Batting at number three, Ishan Kishan is giving the Indian team exactly what it needs. I do not think you can expect him to score big every time because all the players in the top order are aggressive. His role is to give the team a good start and make the most of the Powerplay.”

He added, “Whenever Ishan comes out to bat, he makes full use of the Powerplay. Later, when the team needs to score quickly, he has also played rapid innings of 30 to 40 runs. I think that is sufficient. From the perspective of individual achievements, you may want him to play bigger innings, but at present, he is doing his job for the team.”

Pujara also praised Naman Dhir’s bowling, highlighting his wicket-taking ability and control over the ball. He said Dhir understood the batter’s movements and adjusted his bowling accordingly.

Pujara said, “Naman has demonstrated that he has good control and the ability to take wickets. He understands what the batter is trying to do and how he can dismiss him. He generally bowls around the stumps, looking to put the batter in an uncomfortable position.”

Citing Naman’s performance against Kamil Pooran in the previous match, Pujara said, “In the last match, Kamil Pooran hit him for three consecutive sixes. The execution was not good on the first two deliveries, but Naman remained committed to his plan, made a slight adjustment to his line and eventually took the wicket. This demonstrates a good understanding of the game.”

Pujara noted that Naman’s bowling speed was considerably slower than that of a typical spinner in T20 cricket. According to him, this reflected the bowler’s ability to vary his pace consistently and deceive batters through variations in line and length. He added that Naman understood his own bowling strengths very well.

The fourth T20 match of the series between India and the West Indies will be telecast live at 7 p.m. today on JioHotstar and the Star Sports Network.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar