Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali downplayed Abhishek Sharma‘s hype ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 and made a bold Suryakumar Yadav prediction, as India is set to face the USA in the tournament opener on February 7 in Mumbai.
Abhishek Sharma has taken T20 cricket by storm with his fearless batting, but Moeen Ali feels India’s biggest hope at the T20 World Cup 2026 will still be their captain, Suryakumar Yadav. The Punjab lad has enjoyed a dream run in T20I cricket over the last year.
Moeen Ali plays down Abhishek Sharma hype, backs Suryakumar Yadav as India’s key for T20 World Cup 2026
He is currently sitting on top of the ICC T20I batting rankings and has already scored 1,297 runs in just 38 matches for India. His numbers clearly show how dangerous he is, as he scores quickly and puts bowlers under pressure from the first ball he faces.
Your daily dose of cricket!
Despite this stunning rise, Moeen believes that Abhishek is not the player India will fully depend on during the T20 World Cup 2026, saying Suryakumar is the main face of India’s campaign, considering his experience, calmness, and special ability to change a game in just a few overs.
Suryakumar Yadav went through a rough phase in T20 cricket during 2024 and 2025, but he has found his rhythm again during the recent home series against New Zealand.
Moeen Ali reveals how to unsettle Abhishek Sharma
Moeen Ali said on the Beard Before Wicket YouTube channel, “Abhishek Sharma hasn’t come out of nowhere. He has been doing really well for a few years now. But I don’t think he’s the main guy for India. He’s very important, but I think Surya is the main guy. He’s unbelievable and is back in form.”
The former England all-rounder added, “Abhishek is such a good player, though, with clean hitting from ball one. But teams have to come out with better plans for him. You can’t have normal feelings for him. Normally, you have a split field or two guys on the leg side. But for him, I think you have two guys on the offside, like a wide third man and a deep cover.”
Notably, the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 will be his first World Cup, and his aggressive approach will be key for India.
Read Also: ‘Left-right combination is overrated’: Suryakumar Yadav openly trashes Gautam Gambhir’s T20 theory
Adil Rashid highlights risk in Abhishek Sharma’s fearless style
Meanwhile, England leg-spinner Adil Rashid also feels Abhishek’s habit of going hard from ball one can help the opposition if they manage to dismiss him early. His wicket could push India into their middle order much sooner than planned, which can put them under pressure.
Adil Rashid stated, “He comes at you from ball one, similar to Phil Salt. He’s hit really good form, and even if you get him early, in the next innings, he’ll come hard again. He’s important because he gives them a good start.
But also, as the opposition, you do think because he comes hard, if you get him early, we can get into their middle order very early, and then things change quickly. He will give you chances if you find a good plan.”
