Abhishek Sharma arrived at the T20 World Cup 2026 as the No. 1-ranked T20I batter in the world. Two matches into the tournament, he is yet to open his account.
Also Read: Watch: Hardik Pandya’s animated exchange with Kuldeep raises eyebrows
The Indian opener registered his second successive duck after falling in the first over against Pakistan in Colombo. Having missed the Namibia fixture due to illness, Abhishek returned to the playing XI but lasted just four deliveries.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha took the new ball and struck immediately. Attempting an attacking stroke, Abhishek miscued and was caught by Shaheen Afridi. Beaten by both pace and subtle turn, he became an early casualty as Agha bowled two probing overs in the powerplay.
Despite Abhishek’s early exit, India cruised to a comfortable 61-run victory. The result was particularly striking given a telling statistic, India have won 96 percent of their T20Is when Abhishek scores 30 or more. This dip in returns, however, is not entirely new. He also endured two ducks during India’s recent five-match series against New Zealand.
Ravi Shastri backs Abhishek to bounce back
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes there is no cause for alarm.
“I think he’s due, but he just has to give himself a little bit of time,” Shastri told Sanjana Ganesan in an interaction with the ICC after India’s emphatic win over Pakistan.
“Such things happen, you can go off the boil but he just needs a little more time to get back on track. Converting dot balls into boundaries and sixes is not difficult for someone like him.”
Abhishek’s game is built on explosive starts and the ability to dismantle attacks inside the powerplay. But that approach hinges on surviving the initial burst. At the moment, he appears to be falling while trying to dominate too early.
With his latest duck, Abhishek has now equalled Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli for the most ducks by an Indian batter in T20 World Cups (two). It is elite company — but not a record any batter would want to share.
