Abhishek Sharma vs Gautam Gambhir - comparing the stats of the two after 13 T20Is

Team India opener Abhishek Sharma has given a good account of himself early in his T20I career. His aggressive batting style has earned him quite a reputation across the globe.

Abhishek was on show in the first T20I against England at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22. The southpaw smacked 79 off 34 deliveries at a strike rate of over 230. Riding on his knock, the home side chased 133 runs with more than seven overs to spare.

His early exploits with the bat have drawn comparisons with many former left-handed batters. Abhishek's success in his first 13 T20Is has been compared with the current head coach Gautam Gambhir, who opened the innings when India first won the T20 World Cup title in 2007 in South Africa.

With that being said, let's compare the stats of Abhishek Sharma and Gambhir after 13 T20Is.

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Gautam Gambhir's stats after 13 T20Is

Gambhir was part of Team India when T20s were still evolving as a format. He made his debut in the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa. His first T20I in an Indian shirt was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to incessant rain. In the following game against arch-rivals Pakistan, the left-hander was out for a three-ball duck, caught and bowled by Mohammad Asif.

However, the Delhi-born cricketer bounced back strongly with two consecutive fifties, as India made it to the knockouts of the T20 World Cup. His highest score in the format came in the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup when he scored a match-winning 75 off just 54 deliveries, including eight boundaries and two sixes.

Gambhir registered two more 50+ scores in his first 13 T20Is, aggregating 378 runs at an average of 31.50, including five half-centuries.

Overall, the 43-year-old opener has 932 runs to his name from 37 games at an average of 27.41, including seven fifties.

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Abhishek Sharma's performance in 13 T20Is

The 24-year-old emerged onto the scene after an excellent campaign with the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The left-hander took everyone by surprise with his aggressive intent and amassed 484 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of over 200.

The scintillating run in IPL 2024 earned him a call-up to India's T20I squad for the Zimbabwe tour last year. After getting out for a duck in his debut, Abhishek clobbered a 46-ball 100 to announce his arrival in T20I cricket.

Although he endured a dip in form, the Punjab-born cricketer returned to his element against South Africa, thanks to the management for sticking with him at the top. His red-hot form continued in the first T20I against England on January 22, as he smashed a quickfire 79 to help the Men in Blue chase down 133 runs.

The youngster will hope to keep the momentum going in the remaining games of the five-match series to cement his berth in the playing XI.

Overall, Abhishek Sharma has accumulated 335 runs in 13 matches, including a hundred and two fifties, at a strike rate of 183.06 and an average of 27.91.

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Conclusion

Gautam Gambhir leaves Abhishek Sharma behind in terms of runs scored, while the latter has a better strike rate between the two. The former India opener also has more 50+ scorers than Abhishek after their first 13 T20Is.

Thus, it can safely be said that Gambhir had more impact than the current opener, considering that most of his runs came in India's T20 World Cup victory in South Africa in 2007.