Mohammad Amir has advised Abhishek Sharma to avoid premeditating his shots and instead judge the line and length before committing to big strokes. His comments came after India’s heavy defeat to the South Africa national cricket team in their opening Super 8 clash of the 2026 T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, February 22.
Chasing 188, India suffered an early collapse, losing Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma within the first seven deliveries. With pressure mounting, Abhishek walked in after three successive ducks in the tournament. He began positively, striking a boundary off Aiden Markram and following it up with a six against Kagiso Rabada.
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However, his promising start was cut short at 15 off 12 balls. Attempting to clear the on-side boundary against Marco Jansen, he miscued the shot, offering a high catch that was brilliantly completed by Corbin Bosch running back.
During a television discussion in Pakistan, an anchor reminded Amir of his earlier remark in which he had labelled Abhishek a “slogger.” Responding swiftly, Amir clarified that his assessment was made from a bowler’s perspective.
“I was talking about him as a bowler. Good bowlers and good teams can expose him. The runs he scored against South Africa were largely on one side of the wicket, and even the deliveries weren’t particularly threatening,” Amir explained.
Despite the criticism, the former pacer praised Abhishek’s fearless approach. He noted that the 25-year-old did not abandon his attacking mindset even after three consecutive ducks.
“He is a brave player. Even after three zeroes, his intent didn’t change. He didn’t go into a shell or look to just rotate strike. That courage is admirable,” Amir said. “But at the international level, technique and patience are crucial. He needs to play according to the merit of the ball. He has the skills — it’s about using them wisely.”
