As India are all set to take on South Africa in their first Super 8 match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026, Abhishek Sharma’s poor form has become a major talking point.
The southpaw entered the competition as the best T20I batsman in the world and many backed him to take the competition by storm. However, Abhishek Sharma has looked like a pale shadow of his usual form so far in the tournament. Even after playing three matches in his first T20 World Cup, he is yet to open his account.
Also read: Ravi Shastri calls South Africa ‘unfair advantage’ before the match with India
He started his campaign with a duck against the USA before missing the next game against Namibia due to a stomach bug. The left-handed batsman returned to action against Pakistan but again failed to open his account. In India’s final group game against the Netherlands, Abhishek Sharma returned to the pavilion without scoring for the third consecutive time.
Ravi Shastri on Abhishek Sharma’s form:
While Abhishek Sharma’s sudden drop in form will certainly be a major concern for India, former head coach Ravi Shastri believes otherwise. Speaking to ICC, the former India all-rounder said that the opener’s struggles in the group stage could prove to be a boon.
Shastri said he considered Sharma’s three zeroes as a positive, pointing out that the opener is saving his best for the crucial stage in the World Cup.
“I look at it positively that Abhishek Sharma has got three zeroes. So, save your best for crucial times in the tournament. Teams will be a bit worried that he might not score runs,” Shastri said.
India and South Africa are the two strongest teams:
Shastri further talked about the match between India and South Africa. He praised them as the two strongest teams in the competition and said that the match was going to be fierce.
“They have batting depth. India have batting depth. I think it’s an exciting encounter. These are the two strongest teams, one might say, playing in this tournament, playing this game on the 22nd. Because you have to give them credit because they were World Cup finalists last time and they are playing to their potential at the moment.” Shastri said.
Both India and South Africa have qualified for the Super 8s by winning all four of their group games and will be keen to continue the winning streak. Apart from India and South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe are also in this group. The top two teams will qualify for the semi-finals.
