Fans trolled Abhishek Sharma after the SRH batter fell early in the IPL 2026 opener on Sunday, March 28. Debutant Jacob Duffy gave RCB a sensational start as he removed the World No. 1 T20 batter on just 7 runs off 8 balls at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

After smashing Duffy for a six in the opening over, Abhishek looked like he was struggling against short deliveries. The Kiwi pacer spotted Abhishek's struggles and delivered a short delivery outside off, which the SRH opener tried to pull up. But a thick edge led to an easy catch for Jitesh Sharma behind.

It was Abhishek's sixth single-digit score in his last 10 T20 innings. He scored a quickfire fifty in the T20 World Cup 2026 final to overshadow his poor run of form. But the way he was dismissed in the IPL 2026 opener refreshed fans' memories.

One fan online called Abhishek Sharma a 'slogger king'. The way Abhishek Sharma has thrown away his wicket while going for a big shot is becoming quite predictable.

"IPL 2026 OPENER EXPLODES IN SHOCK!" A fan wrote on X. "Abhishek is DISMISSED for just 7(8) with 1 SIX by RCB debutant Jacob Duffy! 10 CRORE live viewers on JioCinema witness the powerplay collapse at Chinnaswamy! SRH in early trouble... Is the 'Slogger King' finally exposed?"

Another fan claimed that Abhishek's swashbuckling batting has long gone now.

"As far as I feel, Abhishek's swashbuckling batting will not last long now. All the bowlers have understood how to get Abhishek Sharma out. Even now, if Abhishek Sharma keeps hitting and doesn't take time, it won't be long before he disappears from the playing 11," a fan wrote on X.

Another fan compared Abhishek's poor run with Ishan Kishan's rich form, writing:

"Unpopular opinion : Ishan Kishan is better than a blind slogger like Abhishek. At least Kishan can build an innings, not just hit or miss."

Meanwhile, Jacob Duffy removed Travis Head in the same over and then wrapped up a powerplay by removing Nitish Kumar Reddy to give RCB a stunning start in the IPL opener. But Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen staged a brilliant comeback for Sunrisers Hyderabad with a 97-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Also read: RCB vs SRH live score and match updates