India may have defeated America by 29 runs in their first match of T20 World Cup 2026, but Group A has raised serious questions about Abhishek Sharma. Former Indian fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji believes that this game exposed a major weakness of the team.
Abhishek Sharma’s early dismissal against USA highlights India’s weak position
The defending champions were in deep trouble after Abhishek Sharma was out on the very first ball. Once the left-handed opener was out cheaply, India’s batting collapsed badly. At one point India were struggling at 77/6 in the 13th over and the pressure was palpable.
Fortunately, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav then proceeded in style. He played a brilliant unbeaten inning of 84 runs off 49 balls and helped India reach 161/9 in 20 overs.
Later, a Mohammed Siraj-led bowling attack helped India secure a narrow win over the United States at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Also read: No Sanju Samson! Before the match between India and Pakistan, playing eleven was announced in place of Abhishek Sharma.
Lakshmipathy Balaji warns India on delicate opening formula
Now, the Men in Blue are all set to take on Namibia on February 12 in their second Group A match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 in Delhi. Ahead of this match, Balaji revealed the major issue as he felt the Indian team was too dependent on Abhishek for fast starts.
Balaji told that Ishan Kishan returned to the team with a bang; He is still settling, which means Abhishek Sharma does not have a strong and sure-footed opening partner who can take control if he fails.
Lakshmipathy Balaji said on Star Sports, “The start he provides is important. Although Ishan Kishan has been playing well, he has made a comeback recently. So, Abhishek Sharma still has no set opening partner who can take over when he falls. The over-dependence on Abhishek Sharma is evident. India are struggling when he gets out early.”
Balaji gave strict warning to Abhishek
The former Indian bowler also feels that Abhishek needs to show more maturity at the start of the innings, as teams have started setting smart fields against him, especially on the off side.
While the Punjab player has great shot-making ability, Balaji feels that the explosive batsman should understand the match situations better and avoid taking risky shots too early.
Also read: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma ordered to return to T20I amid injury crisis in T20 World Cup 2026
Balaji further added, “Teams are starting to set the field square on the off side for him. So, he has to bring some awareness of the game. There is no doubt about his shot-making ability, but he has to respect the bowlers and the conditions in the early stages. So, if he can learn that, it will benefit India in a big way.”
Balaji criticized India’s decision against America
Meanwhile, the former Indian fast bowler also questioned the batting order during the defeat against America. He felt that big-hitter Shivam Dubey came at the wrong time. Dubey came in when the Blue team was already under pressure at 46/3 and were out for a duck on the very first ball.
Balaji believes that Dubey is more effective when he comes in later in the innings after a strong partnership has been formed. In such stressful moments, Balaji feels experience is very important. He suggested that players like Hardik Pandya or Axar Patel could have handled the pressure better.
Akshar has experience across all formats and has played many steady innings in difficult conditions. Balaji also explained why Pandya is usually stopped in the final overs because of his power-hitting. But in a crisis like the United States, experienced players should step in early to control the damage.
