India’s Abhishek Sharma faced a tough start in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, recording his third consecutive duck in the match against the Netherlands. This has led to concerns about the pressure on the 25-year-old player. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has advised Sharma to focus on building his innings rather than going for big shots early on.
Sharma’s series of ducks has now tied him with Ashish Nehra for the most ducks by an Indian in T20 World Cup history, indicating a rare struggle for one of India’s aggressive batters. Gavaskar highlighted the importance of Sharma spending time in the middle and not rushing into aggressive strokes at the start of his innings.
Gavaskar mentioned that Sharma’s struggles began with a golden duck against the United States, followed by quick dismissals against Pakistan and the Netherlands. He stressed the significance of Sharma getting off the mark first and then allowing his natural game to flow as the innings progress.
Despite Sharma’s challenges, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate expressed confidence in Sharma’s ability to bounce back. He noted positive signs in Sharma’s training sessions after recovering from illness that kept him out of the match against Namibia. The team management is hopeful that Sharma will regain his form quickly and contribute effectively in the upcoming Super 8s stage of the tournament.
