Kapugedera, who played in the 2011 ODI World Cup final, drew parallels between Abhishek and legendary former West Indian opener Chris Gayle. The 38-year-old said that no one can replace the Punjab batsman in the current Indian team.
“India’s success in the last year mainly depended on Abhishek Sharma, the star, because I think the way he batted last year was phenomenal. I didn’t see anyone doing that except Chris Gayle when we started. I don’t think anyone can replace Abhishek Sharma in the Indian team at the moment,” Kapugedera told NDTV Sports.
While Kapugedera acknowledged Sanju Samson’s batting prowess, he said Abhishek’s ultra-aggressive approach gives the Men in Blue several options as a batting unit.
“Yes, Sanju (Samson) is a great player. We have seen him score hundreds of times, but the way Abhishek scores runs gives India so much freedom to play around him or do whatever they want during the middle overs. So what Abhishek gives is important for India going forward in this (T20 World Cup) campaign, especially to get into the final,” opined the cricketer-turned-pundit.
There is no advantage for Pakistan: Kapugedera
Pakistan has played two matches in the ongoing T20 World Cup and both were at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. It is the same venue where the big match between India and Pakistan will take place on Sunday, February 15. While some experts believe the Men in Green will have a slight advantage as they know the conditions better than India, who will play their first match in Sri Lanka in the global event, Kapugedera has dismissed this line of thinking. He supported Suryakumar Yadav and Co. to win the match.
“There is no advantage for Pakistan in the game here as the conditions in Colombo do not necessarily offer a steep jump. Unlike the SSC (Sinhala Sports Club) surface, known for bounce and sponge carry, the Premadasa wicket is generally lower and slower, and often gripping as the game progresses,” Kapugedera opined.
“I think India will be the favorites going into the match, but the way Pakistan is playing, it will be a very close match,” he said.
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