India opener Abhishek Sharma has endured a forgettable start to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, registering his third consecutive duck in the team’s final group-stage match against the Netherlands, setting an unwanted record for any top-order batter.
The 25-year-old has now joined Ashish Nehra for the most ducks by an Indian in T20 World Cup history, underlining a rare slump for one of India’s most destructive white-ball batters.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes expectations may be weighing heavily on Sharma and urged him to simplify his approach and spend time at the crease rather than forcing big shots early in his innings.
“Abhishek Sharma is a lovely guy, but expectations seem to be weighing on him. If he had started well against the USA, it would have been different. Now, the pressure of being the big six-hitter and top batter is showing. With his shot range, he needs to spend time in the middle. He cannot try to hit a boundary or six on the first ball of his innings,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Sharma’s struggles began with a golden duck against the United States, followed by early dismissals against Pakistan and the Netherlands. In each outing, he fell within the first over while attempting aggressive strokes before settling in.
Gavaskar emphasised the importance of getting off the mark and letting his natural strokeplay follow.
“Take a single and get off the mark. Even four dot balls don’t matter. He can make up for them later. He needs to play smart and settle in first,” he added.
Despite the lean patch, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate backed the young opener to bounce back, citing positive signs in training after Sharma recovered from an illness that ruled him out of the Namibia match.
“He batted really well in the nets. He spent 90 minutes batting. He came into the group phase not feeling too well and missed a game after being in hospital. It’s been a disappointing tournament for him, but I saw some really good signs. He’ll be fine when the second phase comes,” ten Doeschate said.
With India through to the Super 8s, the team management will be hoping Sharma rediscovers his rhythm and delivers at the business end of the tournament.