The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will begin on March 28 with a match between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Cricket fans are eagerly waiting to see Indian batters deliver stunning performances in this marquee T20 franchise tournament.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has backed Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma to make a massive statement this season. Chopra predicted that the aggressive left-hander will outshine players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and deliver a proper breakout campaign in the upcoming tournament.
Speaking on Star Sports, Aakash Chopra picked Abhishek Sharma ahead of emerging talents like Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Ayush Mhatre, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Porel, Nehal Wadhera, and Tilak Varma to dominate the upcoming Indian Premier League batting charts.
"He has not had a breakout 'breakout' season thus far is actually how we have defined it. This should be the season," Aakash Chopra said on Star Sports, as quoted by Star Sports.
Abhishek currently holds the number one ranking among batters in T20Is. However, despite featuring in eight different IPL seasons, the 24-year-old is yet to cross the 500-run mark in a single campaign, a milestone several of his peers have achieved multiple times.
You Are Expecting Them to Be Consistent - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra said that batters like Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma feature regularly in international cricket. He added that fans demand far more consistency from them compared to inexperienced teenagers like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi or Priyansh Arya.
"There are capped Indians as well, where there is Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma. If there are names like Dhruv Jurel as well, then you are expecting a lot more, then you are expecting them to be consistent," the former Indian opener said.
"You also want them to strike at a higher clip, because you are a capped Indian, in fact there are even World champions in that list. So, your expectations and demands from them is a little different," he added.
Abhishek Sharma Yet to Translate Promise Into Consistent IPL Dominance
Abhishek Sharma played a massive role in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s run to the IPL 2024 final. He scored 484 runs at an impressive average of 32.27 and a strike rate of 204.22. However, the opening batter finished the 2025 edition with similar individual numbers.
While top-order peers like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad consistently feature in Orange Cap conversations, Abhishek has struggled to replicate his international dominance in franchise cricket.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad management will want him to convert his rapid starts into big individual scores during the upcoming tournament.
The dynamic batter enters the season following a mixed T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. He battled illness and endured a lean group stage before smashing a match-winning half-century against the New Zealand national cricket team in the final.
Also read: Riyan Parag officially requests media to stay away from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
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