3 min readOct 31, 2026 01:39 PM ISTAbhishek Sharma in action. (FILE photo)Harry Brook’s rise in T20I cricket has been surreal. With his aggressive approach in both mind and technique, he has established himself as one of the top current batters in the format. But is he the best? Former Chennai Super Kings cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath said Abhishek Sharma is the best.The feats of the Indian opener need no separate introduction; he is shaping himself into a legend of the T20I game.“I think Abhishek is one of the most devastating hitters. It is enough to instill fear within the bowlers in the powerplay even though he has a baby face. His batting is on the next level. The English media can say Harry Brook is the best right now. But there is no chance. It is Abhishek and he has got the numbers,” Badrinath said in a video on his YouTube channel.Abhishek has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC rankings for T20I batsmen after his sensational century that helped India make a mockery of a target of 199 against New Zealand in the third T20I. While Abhishek marginally missed out on breaking his own record for the fastest T20I century in a match between Full Member nations, he surpassed Virat Kohli to become the Indian with the most tons in the format overall.“Abhishek’s rise back to the top was arguably more expected, with the India left-hander reclaiming his spot at the top for T20I batters following his quickfire century against New Zealand in Wellington in the third game of their series on Tuesday,” the ICC wrote on its website.In addition to the best T20I opener, Badrinath also spoke about who should be India’s T20I openers, which has been a bit of musical chairs since Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s introduction into the squad post-IPL this year for the tour to Ireland.“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek opened and that was a surprise for me. I am still confused. Yes, India made 118 in the powerplay. But who should open? Vaibhav or Sanju Samson? Samson at three I feel is not fair. I don’t know where this is going. But if they decide something, they need to stick to it,” he added.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdStay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.Tags:Abhishek SharmaAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Oct 31: Latest News01Physical intimacy cannot be branded as rape merely because relationship soured: Supreme Court02Scolded over chocolate, 12-year-old girl drowns toddler, covers water tank with slab035 historic prisons around the world where you can now check in04Goa cop calls teen to police station over cyber complaint, ‘sexually assaults’ her05UP SIR: Bulk Form 7s not filed as per rules, not acted upon by EROs, EC tells SCAdvertisementAdvertisement