Abhishek Sharma vs Sahibzada Farhan: Comparing The Performances Of The Two Openers In T20 World Cup 2026 | Image Source - X/@icc & X/@bcci
The ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has been a tournament of contrasts, especially if we compare the performances of two young openers from arch-rivals India and Pakistan. Abhishek Sharma and Sahibzada Farhan — two openers, who endured two completely different journeys in the T20 World Cup 2026 has to be one of the biggest highlights of the tournament.
Pakistan’s star opener Sahibzada Farhan scripted history with his powerful performances in the ongoing tournament. Sahibzada ended his journey in the T20 World Cup 2026 on a glorious note by breaking the record of Indian legend Virat Kohli for the most runs in a single edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
His consistency and electrifying performances made Sahibzada Farhan a sensation. He finished the tournament with a whopping 383 runs at an average of 76.60, surpassing the previous best total of 319 runs from Virat Kohli at the 2014 edition of the World Cup.
| PLAYER | RUNS |
| Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan) | 383 (2026) |
| Virat Kohli (India) | 319 (2014) |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka) | 317 (2009) |
| Babar Azam (Pakistan) | 303 (2021) |
| Mahela Jayawardena (Sri Lanka) | 302 (2010) |
Sahibzada Farhan also became just the second player in T20 World Cup history to have scored multiple centuries, with both his hundreds coming during the ongoing tournament.
The West Indies legend, Chris Gayle, also scored two centuries in the T20 World Cup, but they came in two different editions in 2007 and 2016. That means Sahibzada Farhan is the first player to score two hundreds in the same tournament.
Sahibzada’s efforts weren’t enough for Pakistan as they couldn’t make it to the knockout stage for the second T20 World Cup in a row.
Talking about the Indian opener, Abhishek Sharma, the youngster is having a disappointing time in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
For three games, Abhishek Sharma couldn’t open his account in the marquee tournament. He started his campaign in the tournament with an embarrassing duck against the USA. Following this, he had to miss India’s second game in the Super 8 round against Namibia because of stomach flu.
Abhishek then scored two more ducks in the following games and was able to open his account in the game against South Africa, where he failed to make it big with the bat and was dismissed for just 15 runs off 12 balls.
However, in Chennai, the left-hander finally displayed his prowess by adjusting his approach and playing with more control. He played a crucial knock of 55 runs off 30 balls. During the knock, he reached his half-century in 26 deliveries. Though, it was his second slowest fifty in T20Is, it looked like one of his most mature innings.
It has to be noted that out of his first 50 runs, 34 came straight down the ground. That means 68 percent of his runs at that point were scored in that area, the highest in his T20I career. He mainly targeted the straight boundaries, hitting over long-on and long-off, and also driving cleanly back over the bowler’s head.
However, not everything went his way. Abhishek had a tough evening in the field after India chose to bowl first at Eden Gardens in the must-win match against the West Indies. Abhishek wasted another chance to make an impact during the IND vs WI Super 8 match. Abhishek went back to the pavilion after scoring just 10 runs off 11 balls, hitting 2 fours.
| Category | Abhishek Sharma | Sahibzada Farhan |
|---|---|---|
| Matches / Innings | 7* | 7 / 6 |
| Total Runs | 70+ | 383 |
| Batting Average | ~14.00 | 76.60 |
| Strike Rate | 140.00+ | 160.25 |
| 100s / 50s | 0 / 1 | 2 / 2 |
| Highest Score | 55 (30 balls) vs Zimbabwe | 100* vs Namibia |
| Notable Record | Most ducks by an Indian opener in a single T20 World Cup (3) | Most runs in a single T20 World Cup edition (383) |
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