Abhishek Sharma has been out of form in the T20 World Cup 2026. He has scored three ducks in the competition and his form has been a matter of concern for the Indian team. However, Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has confirmed that he is just an innings away from bringing back his great form.
After the 2024 T20 World Cup, Abhishek Sharma was India’s best batsman with over 192 runs. However, before this World Cup, he has five zeroes to his name in the last seven innings. India are set to face South Africa and against them, off-spin could be a ploy to get early wickets. Former Indian captain Virender Sehwag and fast bowler Mohit Sharma have expressed their views on the poor form of the batsman.
Abhishek Sharma needs to be patient
Virender Sehwag said, “The expectation was that he would hit that ball, but he missed. Maybe he did not expect it, or maybe he misjudged the speed at which the ball came. So he failed to connect. He was in a position to play the shot, but the ball did not come.”
“I understand the situation because I’ve been there myself. I’ve had 0 in two-three matches. I’ve been out on the first or second ball. But coming back from that is not as difficult as it seems – it’s largely about mentality.”
“If you know you are hitting the ball well in the nets and doing everything right, then you should ask yourself: why should you doubt your ability? Often, it comes down to shot selection. You have to choose the right delivery to hit a four or a six.”
Virender Sehwag gives SKY example to Abhishek Sharma to learn from
Sehwag continued, “In his case, expectations can play a role, especially with someone like Abhishek Sharma, who has built a reputation of hitting sixes on the very first ball. We have seen innings start with three sixes in three balls. That creates a lot of pressure. When expectations get so high, a player can force things and make mistakes.”
“I believe he doesn’t need to rush. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if he plays an over or two calmly. Even if he faces 12 balls without scoring much runs, he has the ability to explode in the next 12. We have seen him score 50 runs in 13-14 balls. So the ability is undeniable.”
Here is the video
‘I am missing from a situation like Abhishek, to return to the right mindset’
listen @virendersehwag And @imohitsharma18 Opinion, on Cricbuzz Live Hindi#2026T20WC #India pic.twitter.com/ygR9HZxvuG
– Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) 20 February 2026
Sehwag concluded, “But he needs to give himself time. When runs are not coming he should focus on spending time at the crease, play a few balls and settle down.”
“Look at Suryakumar Yadav – when he was going through a bad phase, he adjusted his approach. He started playing the first 15-20 balls, built the rhythm and then started accelerating. Sometimes, a little change in approach can make a big difference.”
India is not dependent on batsmen
According to Mohit Sharma, Abhishek Sharma’s mental form has deteriorated as no player has been able to remain strong after failing to even open the account in the last five innings. Every cricketer has to struggle with mental pressure after poor performance. India have a batting order up to No. 8, so even if the top order fails, some batsmen can still recover the innings in the middle.
India will take on South Africa in their opening match of the Super 8 on Sunday. Abhishek Sharma will try to score his first runs in the initial phase and then start firing after settling down.
Also read: Abhishek Sharma’s weakness completely exposed? IPL coach drops bomb on spin clash
