Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 17 (ANI): Former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Cheteshwar Pujara hailed the star Indian batter Abhishek Sharma's batting ahead of the India vs New Zealand five-match T20I series, set to start on January 21.

Speaking on the JioHotstar show 'T20 Titans', JioStar expert Suresh Raina shared his thoughts on Abhishek Sharma's range of shots, saying, 'I think his bat swing, the way he hits sixes off spinners while staying in his crease, the way he plays through the covers, and the drives he hits off full balls all stand out. He uses his feet really well and is a strong hitter straight down the ground.' Cheteshwar Pujara, on the other hand, highlighted Abhishek Sharma's versatility, saying that the batter is equally good on legside and offside.

'He is a really versatile player. Often, we have seen that top-order batters are dominant on the leg side, but Abhishek plays equally well on the off side as well and shows intent from the first ball itself, trying to hit a four or a six. He picks the length really well and has a huge variety of shots,' JioStar expert Cheteshwar Pujara said.

Abhishek Sharma is set to feature in the upcoming India vs New Zealand T20I series, which will mark a crucial preparation ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in February -March.

The 25-year-old Abhishek made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in July 2024.

Since then, the stylish left-handed batter has smashed 1115 runs in 33 matches at an astounding strike rate of 188.02. The Indian opener has two-centuries and six half-centuries to his name.

Meanwhile, Indian All-rounder Washington Sundar was ruled out of the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting on January 21. The development was confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on January 16.

Earlier, Sundar underwent scans after reporting an acute onset of discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, on 11 January. This was followed by an in-person consultation with an expert. He has been diagnosed with a side strain and advised rest for a few days, after which he will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) for further management of his injury.

The Men's Selection Committee of BCCI has named star leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi as Washington Sundar's replacement for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Additionally, the Men's Selection Committee has added ace batter Shreyas Iyer to the T20I squad for the first three matches as a replacement for the injured Tilak Varma.

India's updated T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravi Bishnoi. (ANI)