Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali downplays Abhishek Sharma’s hype ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 and makes bold prediction about Suryakumar Yadav as India prepare to face USA in the tournament opener in Mumbai on February 7.
Abhishek Sharma has created a stir in T20 cricket with his fearless batting, but Moeen Ali feels that India’s biggest hope in the T20 World Cup 2026 will still be their captain Suryakumar Yadav. This player from Punjab has performed brilliantly in T20I cricket last year.
Moeen Ali ignores Abhishek Sharma’s hype, backs Suryakumar Yadav for India for T20 World Cup 2026
He currently tops the ICC T20I batting rankings and has scored 1,297 runs in just 38 matches for India. His stats clearly show how dangerous he is, as he scores runs quickly and puts pressure on the bowlers right from the first ball.
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Despite this astonishing rise, Moeen believes that Abhishek is not the player on whom India will be completely dependent during the T20 World Cup 2026, adding that Suryakumar is the main face of India’s campaign given his experience, calmness and special ability to change the game in a few overs.
Suryakumar Yadav went through a bad phase in T20 cricket during 2024 and 2025, but he has regained his rhythm during the recent home series against New Zealand.
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“Abhishek Sharma has come from nowhere. He has been performing really well for the last few years. But I don’t think he is the main man for India. He is very important, but I think Surya is the main man. He is incredible and is back in form,” Moeen Ali said on the Beard Before Wicket YouTube channel.
The former England all-rounder said, “Abhishek is a very good player, though, clean hitting from the very first ball. But teams have to make better plans for him. You can’t have general feelings for him. Normally, you have two guys on the divided field or leg side. But for him, I think you have two guys on the offside, like a wide third man and a deep cover.”
Notably, the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 will be his first World Cup, and his aggressive approach will be crucial for India.
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Adil Rashid highlights risk in Abhishek Sharma’s fearless style
Meanwhile, England leg spinner Adil Rashid also feels that Abhishek’s habit of being aggressive from the very first ball can help the opposition team if they are able to get him out early. His wicket may push India into the middle order earlier than planned, putting them under pressure.
Adil Rashid said, “Like Phil Salt, he comes at you from the very first ball. He is in really good form, and even if you get him out early, he will come back strong in the next innings. He is important because he gives them good starts.”
But also, as the opposition, you think because he bowls hard, if you catch him early, we can get into their middle order very quickly, and then things change quickly. If you get a good plan they will give you opportunities.