Abhishek Sharma’s recent performances have drawn attention as India prepares for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026. The Indian opener has registered three consecutive ducks, raising concerns about his batting form heading into the crucial phase of the tournament against South Africa.
During the group stage match against the Netherlands, off-spinner Aryan Dutt cleaned up Abhishek in the first over.
With that dismissal, Abhishek matched the unwanted Indian T20 World Cuprecord for most ducks, joining Ashish Nehra. Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi and Tillakaratne Dilshan top the list with five ducks each.
The Indian opener rejoined the squad for the match against Pakistan in Colombo but was dismissed by off-spinner Salman Ali Agha. These struggles have now resulted in Sharma recording five ducks in his last seven T20I innings, including two during the home series against New Zealand before the World Cup.
One cannot slog every ball during pressure situations.
Speaking on the Pakistani show Game on Hai, Amir likened Abhishek’s struggles to those of Pakistan opener Saim Ayub early in his PSL career. He pointed out that young, inexperienced batters are often exposed by quality bowlers who target technical flaws.
“Saim had the same issue when he came to play the PSL a few years back. He was new and was hitting no-look shots. Nobody knew his weakness because most of his shots were on the leg side,” Amir said.
“Same for Abhishek. He wants every ball in the slot so he can hit. But at the bigger stages, or in ODIs, har ball lapete mein nahi le sakte (you cannot slog every ball in pressure cricket),” Amir added.
