NEW DELHI: Abhishek Sharma's blistering knock against Pakistan drew high praise from former stars Ravichandran Ashwin and Kevin Pietersen, with the veteran off-spinner predicting that the youngster could go on to become "the best white-ball batter in limited-overs cricket for India."

The 23-year-old showcased a perfect mix of timing and power during his stunning 39-ball 74, guiding India to a commanding six-wicket victory in the Asia Cup Super 4 clash on Sunday.

"I want to tell you that this is not the arrival of Abhishek Sharma, this is just the beginning. He has just started, and he has a long future ahead. He is going to blow the cricketing world apart," Ashwin said on his Youtube channel.

He tipped the left-hander to carry forward his mentor Yuvraj Singh's legacy.

"Take that in writing. He has so much ability, just like how Yuvraj Singh became India's marquee white-ball cricketer. The best white-ball batter in limited-overs cricket for India. He can reach that level easily. I think he is going to carry Yuvraj's legacy forward. He is a phenomenal talent."

Abhishek's knock featured six fours and five sixes, but what impressed Ashwin most was the sheer finesse in his stroke play. One standout moment came in the eighth over when Abhishek shuffled across, cleared his front leg, and whipped Saim Ayub through extra cover for a stunning boundary - a stroke that carried shades of MS Dhoni's iconic helicopter shot.

"Abhishek Sharma hit an inside-out MS Dhoni-style helicopter cover drive. Everybody will talk about the five sixes that he hit, but I want to talk about this cover drive, because there was finesse in this shot.

"Despite only having one bat swing, he can adjust his downswing. If a batter can make the game look that simple, then why would you not want to watch him day in and day out?" Ashwin said.

Abhishek's 105-run stand with childhood friend Shubman Gill formed the backbone of India's victory. He is the leading run getter in the tournament with 173 runs from four innings.

Former England captain Pietersen, too, was effusive in his praise for Abhishek.

"Abhishek Sharma is NEXT LEVEL. He's the type of player that will fail and look so stupid doing it, BUT he'll bring smiles and joy to MILLIONS of people throughout his career as he bangs bowlers all over the world. His eye is something else! Keep the AURA, buddy!" Pietersen posted on X.