Sunil Gavaskar recently argued that opening with Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma would give opposing captains a hard time in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He thinks two left-handed batters mess with a bowler’s usual rhythm.
He suggested that if these two go for it from the very first ball, the pressure will be too much for the other team to handle. Gavaskar also mentioned Shivam Dube as a solid backup if the team want more left-handed power. While he admitted Sanju Samson has incredible natural talent, he said a wicketkeeper-batter usually only walks into the team when they are at the top of their game.
However, Sunil Gavaskar pointed out the tough side of sports. If a player is struggling with both form and luck, they eventually have to make way for someone who is actually delivering. So, he thinks Ishan Kishan is the better pick for the starting eleven right now.
Kishan is in a great groove and has the numbers to back it up. Gavaskar finished by saying the Indian team seem set on playing ultra-aggressive cricket right from the start. This makes Kishan the obvious choice for that kind of high-speed plan.
“If Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma open together, both being left-handers, it could really trouble the opposition bowlers and captains. If they start hitting from the first ball of the power play, the pressure on the opponents will be huge. Shivam Dube is also an option,” Gavaskar said as quoted by Sports Tak.
“Sanju Samson, if in form, is definitely an automatic pick; there’s no doubt about his talent. But when form and luck aren’t on your side, it’s only fair to give the opportunity to the player who is in form. That’s why Ishan Kishan would be preferred. The team management may also want to take an aggressive approach right from the start,” Gavaskar added.
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Is Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma the right opening combination for Team India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026?
The race for India’s T20 opening spots has been wide open lately. The team are moving away from the slow-and-steady style of the past. Throughout late 2025 and early 2026, the coaches tried out different pairs, like Shubman Gill and Sanju Samson, but they couldn’t find a steady rhythm.
Gill is technically brilliant, but he sometimes slows down during the powerplay. This led the team to look for a hit-from-ball-one approach instead. Abhishek Sharma has become the go-to guy for this. He has been tearing bowling attacks apart with a strike rate close to 200.
For the 2026 T20 World Cup, the Kishan-Sharma duo looks like the scariest option. It forces bowlers to keep changing their plans for two lefties. Kishan recently scored a massive hundred against New Zealand and a quick fifty against South Africa.
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With that form, picking him over a struggling Samson seems like a no-brainer. India need to go all-out on home soil. This pair gives them the best chance to make the most of those first six overs. Samson’s classy shots are nice to watch, but a World Cup is about getting the job done. Right now, Kishan and Sharma are the ones doing exactly that.
