Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes India will “take off” in next month’s T20 World Cup if their explosive opener Abhishek Sharma fires, while Kevin Pietersen hailed the left-hander as a “proper star”. Shastri’s comments came after Abhishek hammered a 35-ball 84 with eight sixes and five fours in India’s 48-run win in the opening T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur on Wednesday.

Shastri’s big prediction on Abhishek

When asked who would be the most impactful player in the upcoming T20 World Cup beginning on February 7, Shastri had a clear answer. “Abhishek, without a shadow of a doubt. (He’s the) No. 1 T20 batsman in the world (and is) in a rich vein of form. Last evening (on Wednesday), he took the game away from New Zealand. You’ve got to watch out for him because his confidence level is high,” Shastri said at an event to mark the launch of partnership between Marriott Bonvoy and the ICC.

The former coach added that the home crowd factor will play a huge role in Abhishek’s performance. “He’ll be backed by the home crowd and if he takes off, it means India take off,” Shastri emphasized. Abhishek has scored 1,199 runs in 34 T20Is at a strike rate of 190.92, hitting two centuries and seven fifties, and recently became the fastest to achieve 5,000 runs in T20s in terms of balls faced.

Shastri on handling criticism

Shastri also spoke about the importance of accepting criticism, but stressed it should be constructive. “I prefer criticism that is constructive (and) when I became a broadcaster, I said I’ve divorced the dressing room and I will speak on what I see. It doesn’t matter if you were my colleague or you were my friend when I was playing the game,” he said.

He added that coaches and players must take both good and rough moments in their stride. “One day you are in a pole position. The next day you are in a troll position. That can happen. But in a week, you can see all three. You can be in pole, troll, again pole,” Shastri explained.

Pietersen picks Brevis, then praises Abhishek

For Kevin Pietersen, South Africa’s Dewald Brevis was his top pick for the most impactful player in the T20 World Cup. “Dewald Brevis, for South Africa. He again played another incredible innings last night. A couple of days ago, I was calling the game in Johannesburg where his team, the Pretoria Capitals, led by (Sourav) Ganguly, was struggling. They were 7/5 (against Joburg Super Kings) and Brevis went (in) and batted for 15 overs and they got to a winning total of 140 or 150 (143/6),” Pietersen said.

Pietersen said Brevis showed he is more than a one-trick pony of only trying to hit sixes. “That’s something Brevis has always come under criticism for, that he’s just a one-trick pony. He stands there, and he just tries to hit six after six after six. I said on commentary, that could be the making of Brevis,” he added.

However, the great England batter returned to Abhishek, calling him a “proper star.” “Remember when Abhishek got that 150 (135 off 54 balls; 7 fours, 13 sixes) against England at the Wankhede (Stadium) last year… We interviewed him after the game. I just put my hand on his shoulder and I said, ‘young man, that is the best T20 innings I’ve ever seen in international cricket’. That kid is a proper star. When you know he’s batting, you turn the TV on,” Pietersen said.

England’s World Cup chances

Pietersen, however, said it will be a “very big shout” to say England would win the T20 World Cup given how they are playing. “The way England is playing, that’s a very big shout,” he concluded.