Not Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle! Ex-India wicket-keeper picks Rohit Sharma as best T20 batter of all time
Published - 12 Mar 2026, 08:24 PM | Updated - 12 Mar 2026, 08:37 PM
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Former India cricketer Saba Karim chose former India captain Rohit Sharma as the best batsman in Twenty20 cricket. In a blindfold test with ESPNcricinfo, the ex-cricketer had to go through the tough challenge, which he faced with ease.
For the challenge, there were a total of 6 batters, all of whom were monsters in their days in T20 cricket. From the Caribbean islands, there were Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, England's Jos Buttler, Australia's David Warner, and Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli, all of whom were part of the blindfold test.
Former India keeper-batter Saba Karim faced a blindfold test
According to the rule of the blindfold test, one by one, the nominee's name will be popped, without revealing all of the names. The participant, who is facing the challenge, will have to rank the players based on the credibility of the player and assumptions. Because the person who is in front of the camera has no idea which player's name is going to pop up next.
The challenge Saba Karim faced started with the West Indies cricket legend Chris Gayle, followed by his compatriot Kieron Pollard. Karim placed Gayle in the 4th spot and ranked Pollard in the sixth position. David Warner and Jos Buttler are in fifth and fourth place, respectively.
For the first two places, it was Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma
There were only two spots left after placing Gayle, Pollard, Warner, and Buttler. For the first and second place, the competition was between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Saba Karim kept Kohli in the second place and Sharma at the top of the rankings. According to the former Indian keeper-batter, Rohit Sharma is the best batter in the format. And he is happy with the rankings he made through the blindfold test.
Karim described why he was happy with Rohit Sharma at the top of the list over Virat Kohli. Notably, among all the mentioned names, Jos Buttler, England keeper-batter, who played in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026, was the only cricketer who is still active in the format.
Saba Karim explained why he chose Sharma for the top spot
Saba Karim, who played 1 Test and 34 ODIs for India, said that he is happy with his picks as he ranked those who bettered according to consistency, performance, and the impact they made.
"Based on consistency and performances in a franchisee league as well as T20 internationals. It's not about numbers, it's about the impact", the former cricketer explained.
Who do you think is the best T20 batter of all time? 👀 pic.twitter.com/v1yef4Yvsf
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 12, 2026
Rohit Sharma was the first captain after MS Dhoni to lead India to a T20 World Cup trophy. The right-handed batter retired from the T20 Internationals right after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup title.
Rohit Sharma's T20I record
| Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 0s | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–2024 | 159 | 151 | 19 | 4231 | 121* | 32.05 | 3003 | 140.89 | 5 | 32 | 12 | 383 | 205 |
Before taking retirement, 'Hitman' scored 4,231 runs in 159 T20Is. He smashed five centuries and 32 half-centuries in this particular format, while his batting average reads 32.50 with a strike rate of 140.89.
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Saba Karim Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli India National Cricket Team Chris Gayle David Warner Jos Buttler England National Cricket Team West Indies National Cricket Team Australia National Cricket TeamAbout the Author
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