Akhtar, known for his fiery bowling in his playing days, praised Sharma for his “exceptional talent” and predicted that he would achieve “great things” in the years to come.

In a YouTube video, the former pacer commended Sharma for his T20I hundred against England, saying, “I watched your innings, and it was fantastic, amazing.”

Akhtar also offered some advice to the young batter: “Don’t leave your strength, and at the same time, become a friend to people who are better than you. There is a great life ahead for this young talented guy.”

Sharma, who was last seen playing in the T20I series against England earlier this month, was in Dubai to watch the India vs Pakistan match.

He amassed 484 runs in 16 Indian Premier League matches at an astonishing strike rate of 204.22.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has also thrown his support behind Sharma, suggesting that he should soon be given an opportunity to make his ODI debut.

“The way Abhishek Sharma batted in the T20I series against England was unbelievable for a left-hander. There is no reason why he can’t play one-day cricket,” Ganguly said.

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Abhishek, a member of India’s 2018 U19 World Cup-winning squad alongside stars like Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill, has steadily made his mark in international cricket.

After his IPL success, he earned his India cap in July 2024 against Zimbabwe, although he was dismissed for a duck on his debut. Undeterred, he bounced back with a match-winning T20I century shortly after.