Who Is The Best Indian Opener In IPL? Ex-Batting Coach Names His Pick. Not Virat Kohli Or Rohit Sharma
Who is the best Indian opener in the IPL? Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has named his pick
Who is the best Indian opener in the IPL? Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes it is Abhishek Sharma. "In terms of the order, it will be Abhishek Sharma, then Virat Kohli. At three, we have Shubman Gill and KL Rahul at four. Rohit Sharma at five, Shikhar (Dhawan) at six, Viru (Virender Sehwag) at seven, and Gambhir at eight," Bangar said. "I think based on how T20 has evolved, that would be the right mix and the right way to go about it." Abhishek Sharma is currently second in the IPL 2026 top run-getters list with 475 runs in 11 innings.
While Abhishek has scored three half-centuries and one century, on Wednesday the Sunrisers Hyderabad star could not convert his good start. He scored 35 off 13 balls as SRH posted 235/4 in 20 overs.
World No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma has opened up on the transformative impact of training under former India all-rounder and his idol, Yuvraj Singh, saying the experience helped him develop a stronger mindset focused on delivering in high-pressure matches for the national team.
Speaking on JioStar, Abhishek recalled how working closely with Yuvraj Singh during the lockdown period became a turning point in his development as a cricketer, both technically and mentally.
"Training with Yuvi paaji (Yuvraj Singh) was a huge moment for me. I had looked up to him since I was a child. He was my idol. He gave me some guidance early on, but we didn't have much time together. Then came the lockdown. I think Yuvi paaji saw it as an opportunity to work closely with a few players. I was lucky to be one of them," Abhishek said.
The left-handed batter further highlighted a key message from Yuvraj Singh that significantly shaped his approach to the game and belief in his abilities.
Abhishek credited the mentorship for helping him focus on performing in crucial moments rather than just accumulating experience at lower levels, saying the guidance instilled a long-term vision for success at the international level.
"When our camp began, he said something that truly changed my belief. He told me that the training and mindset we were building was not just for domestic cricket or IPL, and not just for playing a few games for India. He said that he was preparing me mentally to win big matches for India, to play impactful innings, and to deliver with the ball when it matters most," he added.
Sharma also opened up about the early inspiration behind his cricketing journey, crediting his father and iconic India matches for motivating him to pursue the sport professionally.
With ANI inputs
India Cricket Team