He is yet to score in T20 World Cup 2026.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has backed young opener Abhishek Sharma to recover from a brief slump in form during the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. He advised the left-hander to be patient and give himself more time at the crease.
Speaking to Sanjana Ganesan on the ICC broadcast, Ravi Shastri expressed confidence that the form of Abhishek Sharma would return soon. According to the former India coach, the key for Abhishek is to resist the urge to push too hard too early and instead allow himself a few balls to settle in.
“I think he’s due, but he just has to give himself a little bit of time,” Shastri said. “Such things happen, and you can go off the boil. But once he settles in, turning dot balls into boundaries and sixes is not difficult for him.”
Shastri added that Abhishek’s natural ability to accelerate from the ball one is one of his greatest strengths. He emphasised that one solid innings could restore Abhishek’s confidence.
Abhishek Sharma’s troubles continued in the high-profile IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026 match in Colombo, where he was out for a four-ball duck. This marked his second duck in a row in the tournament, representing another setback during a challenging run of matches. However, Shastri quickly pointed out that such phases are part and parcel of a batter’s journey, especially for players who rely on aggressive play at the start.
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The numbers reveal the concern surrounding Abhishek Sharma current form. The opener has recorded four ducks in his last seven T20I innings, including three golden ducks. Two of these occurred during the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, and others have come in the T20 World Cup 2026 so far. Additionally, he also missed India’s match against Namibia due to illness, which disrupted his rhythm at a critical time.
Despite the ducks, the impact of Abhishek Sharma when he finds his groove has been significant. In the same seven-innings stretch, his other scores include 84, 68*, and 30, coming at strike rates over 200. Since the T20 World Cup 2024, the southpaw has scored 1,297 runs in T20Is for India, the most by any Indian batter during this period and the second-most among players from Test-playing nations, behind Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett.
India’s comprehensive 61-run win over Pakistan helped them qualify for the Super 8 stage, reducing immediate pressure on the top order. With India scheduled to take on minnows Netherlands in their last group stage fixture, Abhishek Sharma boasts a strong chance to reset, be patient early on, and let his natural batting shine in the final stages of the T20 World Cup 2026.
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