He has already experienced T20 World Cup success in 2022.
Explosive England opener Phil Salt has sent a clear message ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, recognising the tough challenge posed by Abhishek Sharma of India, who currently ranks No.1 in the ICC T20I batting rankings.
Phil Salt, who is currently ranked in ICC men’s T20I batting rankings with 849 rating points, admitted that pursuing the high standards set by Abhishek Sharma (929 ratings) has become a personal goal in his T20 journey.
“I’d like to catch him,” Salt joked when asked about Sharma’s impressive form in pre-match press conference. “That’s been my goal for a while. A completely different batter, but I still wanted to catch him.”
Since 2023, Phil Salt has opened the batting more than anyone else in T20 cricket, including international and franchise cricket across the globe. He has scored significantly more runs from that position. However, Abhishek Sharma’s strike rate in international cricket stands out at 194.92. That is much higher than Salt’s already strong 168.12.
In 2025, Abhishek Sharma scored 859 runs in 21 innings at 42.95 average and 193..46 strike rate, including a hundred and five fifties. Salt, on the other hand, missed a few T20I matches due to injury and was inconsistent. In six games last year, Salt managed 122 runs at 20.33 average and 120.79 strike rate. However, he hopes for a blockbuster in the year 2026, where the T20 World Cup will be followed by the IPL 2026.
Phil Salt also praised Abhishek Sharma’s fearless approach and pointed out several strokes.
“The way he can hit the first ball for six, charge down the wicket and still access both sides is completely different. I’m never going to be him, and he’s never going to be me — but I really enjoy watching him bat,” Phil Salt added.
With the T20 World Cup 2026 approaching, Phil Salt’s comments challenge Abhishek Sharma while also complimenting him. This sets a battle within a battle when the two sides come face-to-face. However, the two teams are placed in different groups, but may face each other in the later stages if qualified.
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As the T20 World Cup 2026 nears, Phil Salt would look to lean on his IPL experience and build on his numbers in T20Is in India. Salt, who holds the highest strike rate in IPL history among players with at least 25 innings, has already helped two different franchises to lift the IPL trophy, which highlights his impact in the shortest format.
Salt has already won the T20 World Cup 2022. He directly featured in the semi-final and was slotted at No.3, but as England won the match without losing a wicket, he didn’t get to bat. In the final against Pakistan at the MCG, Phil Salt scored 10 runs.
However, since then, things have changed to a huge extent. He has become one of the top T20 openers in the world and has experience of playing one more T20 World Cup in 2024. He sees this as his chance to carry the England team and power them to World Cup glory in 2026.
Before the T20 World Cup 2026, Phil Salt will focus on the upcoming three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka, starting January 30, to prepare for the T20 World Cup 2026. Notably, the series marks the first time he will face Sri Lanka in his 84-match international career.
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