Abhishek Sharma has scored two ducks in as many matches of the T20 World Cup 2026 so far.
India’s explosive opener Abhishek Sharma is yet to set the stage on fire in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. It has become a very common sight for the fans to see the 25-year-old go berserk on the bowlers from the very first delivery of a T20I fixture. But in this tournament, the batter has not managed to get off the mark in his limited appearances of two matches so far.
The batter had entered the T20 World Cup 2026 on the back of a scorching-hot form. But following a golden duck against the USA in the tournament opener, a stomach issue had sidelined him from India’s next fixture facing Namibia. Returning to the side in a highly anticipated match against Pakistan, Abhishek once again replicated the same outcome with a four-ball duck.
But India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, has brushed away any concerns regarding a dip in the player’s form ahead of their last group-stage match against the Netherlands.
“The one thing we definitely don’t unnecessarily do is over-analyse. Sometimes you [as batters] start making more assumptions than the opposition do. He has his plans sorted, he follows the way he wants to, and obviously we discuss the opposition, their bowling, their strengths, what they’ve been doing – all that is normal for everyone, not just Abhishek,” stated Kotak in the pre-match press conference.
The coach backed Abhishek’s natural gameplay and his proven success in the past year by sticking to the aggressive approach. He also noted that a few low-scoring returns are part and parcel of playing high-risk cricket while emphasising on the pre-match preparations.
“In the T20 format also, sometimes a 10-ball 30 is as important. It’s not like he hasn’t scored runs. T20 format is high-risk, someone will get out [playing attacking cricket]. If we stress so much on it [the occasional failures], players will be under pressure. He is in good form, he has got clear plans, has a clear mindset and that’s what matters to us,” added the coach.
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The swashbuckling left-hander would want to be back among the runs against the Netherlands as India gear up for the Super Eights stage of the T20 World Cup 2026. The defending champions have already sealed their qualification with three consecutive victories in the T20 championship.
However, Abhishek was previously one of the key architects of India’s unbeaten triumphant run in the ACC Asia Cup 2025. He became the leading run-getter of the edition with a record-breaking 314 runs in seven matches of the subcontinental tournament.
Moreover, despite registering two ducks in the latest New Zealand T20I series before the World Cup, the batter displayed stellar form in the remaining three outings, notching up 182 runs, including two fifty-plus knocks, striking at a blazing rate of 249.31. Looking ahead in the Super Eights of the mega ICC event, the opener would want to produce a similar impact in a bid to defend the Men in Blue’s T20I silverware.
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