Former Australian captain Michael Clarke had recently predicted that Team India’s young opener Abhishek Sharma would emerge as the top run-scorer in the upcoming five-match T20 series. However, the former batsman backed the Mitchell Marsh-led side to win the five-match contest by a 3-1 margin.
India are set to begin their T20I series against Australia in Canberra on Wednesday, October 29. After losing the ODI series 1-2, the visiting team would like to bounce back and regain momentum. The Men in Blue had won the series 2-1 when they last toured Australia for the shorter format in 2020-21.
Michael Clarke predicts Abhishek Sharma as the leading run-getter
Speaking on Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Michael Clarke said that Abhishek Sharma has the skills to represent India in all three formats. Clarke said the left-handed batsman has a full range of shots and called him a “superstar” in the T20 format.
“I think he (Abhishek) is ready to play in all three formats for India. It is tough, you can only have 11 players and six batsmen. But I think he is an absolute superstar in this format. He opens the batting, is a left-handed batsman and he has all the shots,” Clarke said.
Clarke predicted that Australian leg spinner Adam Zampa would finish as the top wicket-taker in the upcoming T20I series. One of Australia’s most reliable performers in this format, Zampa has taken 131 wickets in 106 T20Is at an impressive average of 21.38 and an economy rate of 7.33.
Abhishek Sharma has been in exceptional form in 2025
Abhishek Sharma has been in exceptional form in 2025, scoring 593 runs in 12 T20Is at an average close to 50 and a strike rate above 200. The left-handed batsman has scored 849 runs in 24 matches at an average of close to 37 and a strike rate of 196.07, which includes two centuries and five fifties.
He last played for India during the Asia Cup 2025, where he won the Player of the Tournament award. The left-handed batsman scored 314 runs at a strike rate of 200 and an average of 44.85.
Abhishek Sharma also tops the ICC T20I batting rankings with a rating of 926. The upcoming five-match series will be his first appearance in Australia, where he will look to continue his remarkable form.
Michael Clarke predicts winner for Australia-India T20I
Michael Clarke predicted that Australia will beat India 3-1 in the upcoming five-match T20 series, with one game possibly affected by rain.
He said that both the teams are entering the match in strong form. Since their unbeaten win in the 2024 T20 World Cup, India have been dominant, winning 24 of their next 27 matches.
Australia have bounced back impressively after an early exit from the World Cup, with 16 wins in their last 18 T20 matches and four consecutive bilateral series.
However, India have been dominant in recent head-to-head encounters. The Men in Blue have won seven of their last eight T20Is and have also claimed wins in the last three series against Australia.
Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar out of top 5 Indian ODI batsmen of all time; Virat Kohli is on top