Despite the recent slump, Abhishek Sharma vows to stick with the same mindset that has made him the most feared T20I batter currently.
Abhishek Sharma, India’s new-age batting prodigy and a cornerstone of their recent T20I dominance, finds himself in the midst of an untimely slump – in the thick of a World Cup, no less. Arriving at the marquee event as the world’s top-ranked T20I batter, he has since endured three consecutive innings without scoring. With India now stepping into the Super Eights, the pressure to end that streak is mounting.
A defining trait of the 25-year-old’s game has been his intent to attack from the very first ball. More often than not, that approach has handed both him and India the perfect launchpad to seize control. Yet, while exhilarating, such high-risk aggression can misfire – as it did in the group stage, where he survived just eight deliveries across three innings.
The numbers underline the dip. He has registered five ducks in his last seven outings. Overall, six of his 40 T20I innings have ended without a run, the first coming on debut in July 2024.
India’s Super Eights campaign at the 2026 T20 World Cup will test their unbeaten momentum against similarly in-form sides. The defending champions open against South Africa, followed by Zimbabwe and then West Indies in their quest for a semi-final berth.
Behind the scenes, Abhishek has been putting in the hard yards in training, determined to rediscover his rhythm. Yet, by his own admission, he feels no burden.
“I just enjoy my batting,” he said in a video shared by Star Sports. “I stopped taking pressure two years ago because I realised the process is in my hands. Practice and training are what I can control, and that’s what I focus on. I enjoy this, so there’s no pressure as such.”
