A member of India’s ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup winning side in 2018, Abhishek is set to feature at his maiden T20 World Cup, starting February 7.
Ponting believes Abhishek will thrive on the big stage, recalling his initial meeting with the talented 25-year-old at the Indian Premier League when he was the coach of the Delhi Capitals.
“I was his first IPL coach,” Ponting said, recalling his time with Delhi Capitals. “He debuted with me, I think as a 17-year-old at Delhi and made an immediate impact.
“I think he hit his first ball for four or six straight back over the bowler’s head with that classical sort of straight bat and held the pose. And you could just see then as a 17-year-old that there was something extra special.”
“We ended up trading him away from Delhi, but I pleaded and pleaded and pleaded and said, please don’t do this. We’ve got to (keep him), there’s an absolute superstar in the making here.
“And that’s what it’s turned out to be. I’ve got really high hopes for him in this time.”
Abhishek has warmed up nicely for the upcoming tournament, piling on 152 runs in four matches against New Zealand in the ongoing T20I series.