In a light-hearted moment that brought a smile to fans’ faces amidst the intensity ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was seen checking the pockets of opener Abhishek Sharma during a training session in Ahmedabad.
The incident, which took place ahead of India’s crucial Super 8 clash against South Africa, has gone viral on social media, showcasing the team’s easy camaraderie despite the high stakes.
Suryakumar Yadav checks Abhishek Sharma’s pockets: Hilarious moment in Team India’s training session
Video footage of the practice session at the Narendra Modi Stadium complex showed Suryakumar approaching Abhishek and patting his pockets, as if searching for something. The captain’s lively demeanor and mock-serious expression made his teammates and support staff laugh.
Well, Suryakumar was jokingly checking if the dashing batsman had a piece of paper in his pocket – a reference to Abhishek’s famous celebration. First century of Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2025.
Here is the video:
Suryakumar checked Abhishek Sharma’s pocket before the Africa match.💀
Something big is cooking 👀 pic.twitter.com/wLjoA2umoX
– Mufftball Vikrant (@Vikant_1589) 20 February 2026
‘Orange Army’ note connection from Abhishek Sharma
The pocket-checking tease has its origins in a memorable IPL moment. After scoring his maiden IPL century for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2025 season, Abhishek took out a note from his pocket which read: “This is for the Orange Army,” Dedicating his achievement to the ardent fan of the franchise.
The gesture has become a topic of discussion in cricket circles, with fans appreciating the young player’s thoughtful tribute. Suryakumar’s decision to recreate that moment – to check if Abhishek had another note hidden for the World Cup – highlights the captain’s playful leadership style and the effortless equation between the two.
See also: Emotional Jonathan Trott crying after final game as Afghanistan coach
Abhishek has not scored yet in T20 World Cup 2026
While the moment from the training session was light-hearted, it comes at a time when Abhishek’s batting form has come under significant scrutiny. The 25-year-old left-hander has registered a hat-trick of ducks after losing his wicket for ducks against USA, Pakistan and Netherlands in the T20 World Cup 2026.
He missed India’s group match against Namibia due to a stomach infection, which required him to be hospitalized in New Delhi, but returned for the Netherlands match, but was bowled by off-spinner Aryan Dutt for the third consecutive time. This makes him the first Indian opener to achieve this unwanted feat in T20 World Cup history.
Despite this tough phase, Abhishek remains the world No. 1 ranked T20I batsman, having scored 1,297 runs in 40 T20I innings at an impressive strike rate of 192.43. However, the pressure is mounting on him after being out for ducks five times in his last seven international matches.
Virender Sehwag’s advice to Abhishek: “Try to play some balls”
Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag highlighted Abhishek’s struggles and stressed that the youngster needs to adjust his approach rather than giving up his aggressive tendencies.
“It was a ball that had to be hit but he missed. I have been in his position, made 2-3 zeroes, but it is not that difficult to come back because it is just about the mentality.” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
“It’s about shot selection, where he is making mistakes. There are expectations from him to score runs immediately and he can make mistakes. But when he is not scoring runs he has to play some balls, try to play some balls.” The veteran opener gave advice.
India begin their Super 8 campaign against South Africa on 22 February at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. After this they will face Zimbabwe in Chennai on 26 February and West Indies in Kolkata on 1 March.
For Abhishek, the South Africa match provides an opportunity to silence the critics and repay the faith shown by his captain and the team management. Despite his failures, Suryakumar’s light-hearted gesture during training shows that the team’s support for the young opener is unwavering.
