Abhishek Sharma did not have the best performance in the T20 World Cup 2026. However, the flamboyant left-handed opening batsman has emerged on the biggest occasions for the India national cricket team. He played a brilliant inning of 52 runs in 21 balls in the final of the tournament against New Zealand and helped the home team get off to a fast start in the powerplay.
Abhishek Sharma scored only 141 runs in 8 innings at an average of 17.63 and two half-centuries. The southpaw had a World Cup to forget with the bat, although he was ultimately part of the winning team. Abhishek also took the last wicket of New Zealand’s innings in the final and gave India its third T20 World Cup title.
Abhishek Sharma has fan following in Australia
Despite Abhishek’s poor performance in the World Cup, he retained his No. 1 T20I batsman position. He will next be in action for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Ahead of the IPL, former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin has been left in awe of the performances of Abhishek Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah during the T20 World Cup final last Sunday.
Brad Haddin, speaking on the Willow Talk cricket podcast, said, “I think one thing with this Indian team is that a tournament game is about understanding the right moment to peak, and that’s exactly how India reached the final. You see the way Bumrah played, you want your superstars to own those moments.”
I am a big fan of Abhishek-Brad Haddin
“I’m a big fan of Abhishek, and there was a lot of discussion about his condition throughout the tournament. Got a few zeros in the pool game, and suddenly, you feel he’s under pressure, but he’s the guy you want in big moments. Because they’re wicked and they go on fire.”
“That’s what Abhishek Sharma does, he puts pressure on the opposition and the way he got out in the final made the game.”
Jasprit Bumrah should be cotton wrapped by India
Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged Player of the Match for his brilliant spell of 4/15 in the final. This was the best spell bowled by a fast bowler in the T20 World Cup final. Bumrah finished the tournament as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets, along with his teammate Varun Chakravarthy.
Jasprit Bumrah not only performed well in the final but also in important matches for the Men in Blue in the semi-final against England, where he scored almost 500 runs. Bumrah ended the spell at 33/1 with an economy of 8. This shows his talent to perform well under pressure for the team.
Abhishek Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah will next be seen against each other during the IPL when Mumbai Indians (MI) take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). It will be an exciting contest to watch as both the cricketers will look to give their best for the franchise, especially Abhishek, who did not have the best of performances in the 2025 IPL season.
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