India’s national cricket team’s explosive opening batsman Abhishek Sharma has given a big statement on the poor form of T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill.
Abhishek Sharma said that, although Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill are going through a bad phase at the moment, they will probably win matches for India in the T20 World Cup 2026.
I know when and where he can win games for us regardless of the circumstances – Abhishek Sharma on Shubman Gill
The form of team leaders Suryakumar and Shubman has emerged as one of the biggest concerns for India ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
In 2025, Suryakumar Yadav scored just 213 runs in 18 matches with a best score of 47* at an average of 14.20 and a strike rate of 125.29. Shubman Gill, on the other hand, has scored 291 runs in 15 T20I matches in 2025 at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26.
Speaking at a press conference after the third T20 match against South Africa, Abhishek supported the struggling batsmen, saying:
“I’ll tell you one thing straight. These two guys are going to win matches for us in the World Cup and the series before that as well.”
“I have been playing with them for a long time, especially Shubman. I know when and where he can win games for us regardless of the circumstances. I have always had faith in him. I hope everyone will be able to see it soon.”
Was helpful for pacers – Abhishek Sharma
India won the 3rd T20I against South Africa in Dharamsala by 7 wickets with 25 balls to spare and as always, Abhishek Sharma was India’s best batsman that night, scoring 35 runs off 18 balls.
Meanwhile, while talking to the media, Abhishek revealed that he wanted to take the game away from the opposition team in the power play itself. He said:
Abhishek Sharma said, “The fast bowlers were getting help. The way I was batting, I knew that if I give the team a good start, the game could be over in the powerplay. So, that was the plan and the rest played normally and decided to stay not out. I always try to give starts to the team. If I have that intention, other batsmen can just play on the field or maybe take their time.”
Everything took us by surprise – Aiden Markram
Meanwhile, Proteas captain, Aiden Markram, was surprised by the manner of the match as he had expected it to be a high-scoring encounter rather than a low-scoring one.
Markram said, “Everything surprised us. It looked like a good batting wicket. The Indian team also felt the same as Ravi Shastri (at the time of the toss). We did not expect him to perform so well. It was challenging, but you have to have a plan to get a competitive score. Ultimately, we fell 20-30 runs short.”
Also read: Suryakumar Yadav gives rubbish verdict on his T20I horror show: ‘I am not out of form’
