Ravichandran Ashwin has made a bold statement on struggling India opener Abhishek Sharma ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.
Abhishek Sharma is going through a bad phase. The 25-year-old has managed to score only one half-century so far in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2025 and has been out for a duck thrice. Despite his poor form, he tried to hit aggressive shots and lost his wicket for just 9 runs in the semi-final against England at the Wankhede Stadium, where the batsmen enjoyed their time on Thursday.
Ravichandran Ashwin backs Abhishek Sharma for T20 World Cup 2026 final
Even though the left-hander has struggled badly in the tournament, Ravichandran Ashwin believes the defending champions should still trust the youngster for the title clash against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The former Indian off-spinner believes that dropping Abhishek before such a big match would be a wrong move. Ashwin also described the Indian opener as a special talent and believes that he just needs to control his aggressive instincts and play as per the situation.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Aish Ki Baat’, “Abhishek Sharma has that quality. In the series against New Zealand, he was in top form. He has batted well against Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry in the past. So, I wouldn’t be too worried about Abhishek. But I would like to have a chat with him. I would tell him, ‘Listen, there is a plan against you.’ So don’t try hard to hit the ball.”
Despite being a big fan of Abhishek’s talent, Ashwin questioned Abhishek’s approach.
Abhishek made an aggressive start against England spinner Will Jacques and hit a few fours. But in his attempt to dominate again, he missed the big shot and lost his wicket early. Despite Ashwin calling Abhishek a “big fan of his gameplay”, his batting was described as “thoughtless”.
This was actually the fourth time that Abhishek lost to a spinner in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Earlier, Salman Ali Aga, Aryan Dutt and Akeal Hosein had performed better than him in the tournament.
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Ashwin has pointed out that when Sanju Samson is batting well at the other end, Abhishek should have been careful as sometimes rotating the strike and building the innings rather than hitting big shots is the best option, especially when he is struggling with the bat.
Ashwin urges India to keep faith in Abhishek Sharma
The former Indian all-rounder also suggested that head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav should keep Abhishek relaxed before the final. He believes that putting extra pressure on a naturally aggressive player could backfire and urged the team management to give him confidence.
Ashwin said, “Abhishek is a very good talent, but I just want to know what kind of interaction is happening with him. Is he coming under too much pressure? If you give him more pressure, he will try to hit the ball more. He is a fluid player who relies on timing. You have to put him in a good place, and I will continue with that.”
Also read: Sanju Samson puts pressure on Abhishek Sharma before the T20 World Cup final by giving a blunt message
