Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Abhishek Sharma's sensational hundred in IND vs ENG 2025 5th T20I ft. Michael Vaughan

The cricket fraternity was in awe of Indian opener Abhishek Sharma, who turned into a tormentor for England in the final T20I on Sunday in Mumbai. The southpaw produced a whirlwind knock of 135 off 54 balls, slamming 13 sixes, which is the most by an Indian player in a T20I inning. He also picked up two wickets in his solitary over while conceding only three runs.

Sharma's scintillating knock powered India to a mammoth total of 247, which they defended successfully. As a result, the Men in Blue secured a dominating 4-1 victory in the five-match series. It was also the second-highest margin (runs) of victory for India in the shortest format after they won by 168 runs against New Zealand in 2023.

Interestingly, it was Sharma's second T20I century in only 17 games. He has so far slammed 535 runs at an average of 33.43 and an explosive strike rate of 193.84.

On that note, let's take a look at the top five expert reactions to Abhishek Sharma's knock.

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#1 Aakash Chopra

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra believes Abhishek Sharma and other Indian youngsters are elevating the game to a different level. Chopra feels the southpaw is following Rohit Sharma's route to becoming a successful opener for the Indian team.

Here's what he said on his YouTube channel:

"How good he played. He is following in Rohit's footsteps. If you are a Sharma and you open for Team India, and you strike the ball well, your future is very bright. It seems like that and we saw the proof of that here." [1:50 onwards]

"He had struck a century in just his second T20I match, but after that, that consistency wasn't there. You need to praise the selectors as well that they selected him because we were also saying why you aren't selecting Yashasvi as he is in red-hot form," Chopra added.

Aakash Chopra also hailed Abhishek Sharma for having a wide range of shots in his arsenal, which puts him in a sweet spot against any bowling attack.

"He just doesn't stop. Few shots were breathtaking, particularly the six against Jofra Archer towards covers. Wow. He has also shown his ability to hit sixes with a cut shot. Unbelievable batting, Take a bow, absolutely outstanding," Chopra added.

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#2 Michael Vaughan

In an interaction on Cricbuzz, former England captain Michael Vaughan labeled Abhishek Sharma as a 'stylish' player and thinks it was probably the finest T20 knock he has ever seen. He said:

"Wonderful player. I don't think you can play any better than that. If anyone's played a better T20 innings than that, I've not seen it. That was as pure and as stylish as you could possibly ever hope for."

Moreover, Vaughan hailed Sharma's skillsets and game awareness, which completely rattled England. He added:

"He's a modern-day flourishing player who's got so much style, he's got the power, he's got the skill sets. He has the ability to hit spin and seam. I think his awareness of the game is excellent. I think he reads the play beautifully."

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#3 Kevin Pietersen

Appearing in the post-match analysis on Star Sports, former England batter Kevin Pietersen said that it was the finest T20 knock by any batter in T20Is according to him. He said:

“This is the best T20I innings I have ever seen in my life. I would be interested to watch that future match where Abhishek plays a better innings than this one in the future. I don’t think he would be able to do that."

Moreover, Pietersen engaged in a funny banter with Yuvraj Singh, who is also the mentor to Sharma. The former Indian all-rounder has often criticized his pupil for not converting his starts and giving away his wickets.

“Yuvi, listen pie chucker, you gotta stop that [criticizing Abhishek Sharma]. This guy is a joke of a batter. He’s so good," Pietersen said on Star Sports.

However, after Yuvraj Singh appreciated Abhishek Sharma's knock, Pietersen stated:

“Much better [on Yuvraj Singh’s latest tweet for Abhishek Sharma], I thought he normally hangs his abuse for Man United, not the great left-hander that was on the show this evening.”

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#4 Ahmad Shahzad

Former Pakistan batter Ahmad Shahzad opted for a no-holds-barred approach in praising Abhishek Sharma's knock. Shahzad feels the southpaw's non-stop hitting was a treat to watch for the cricket fans.

Here's what he said on his YouTube channel:

"Abhishek Sharma, absolute cinema stuff. It looked like we were watching the highlights during the live game. He did not spare any England bowlers and kept on hitting throughout his innings. While you are still admiring his previous shot, his next shot is produced in such a way that the person says, 'Oh no like is it for real.'"

Thereafter, Ahmad Shahzad stated his belief that Yuvraj Singh was right to judge Abhishek Sharma's talent at a young age.

"Now we know why Yuvraj Singh rates him so highly. Whenever, any cricketer supports another cricket, there is a logic behind it. Now, we understand the logic. Abhishek plays such free-flowing shots with a long handle. It was looking like some great player was playing for their country with a fearless mindset."

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#5 Harbhajan Singh

Former legendary Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh took to his YouTube channel to discuss Abhishek Sharma's impactful knock. Interestingly, Harbhajan revealed that both Sharma and Shubman Gill made their List-A debuts for Punjab under his leadership in February 2017.

As per Harbhajan, Abhishek Sharma trusted his instinct of attacking the bowlers from the early days of his career. He said:

"He had that fearlessness from the start. He didn't care about who's the bowler, and tried to hit every balls which was in his range. As a captain, I wanted him to flourish, the way he wanted to bat, just go out and explore yourself on how he can win the match for the team. I am very happy with his progress." [3:55 onwards]

Further, Harbhajan feels Sharma can prove to be a fine left-arm spin option for India if he devotes time to work on his craft.

"I also want him to focus on his bowling, he is a fine bowler. From the first day itself, I told him he had a good seam position. Whenever, I meet him, I always talk about his bowling as batting is his first love. He has all the ingredients of a skillful left-arm spinner." [2:25 onwards]