Legendary former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar believes the weight of expectations may have affected Abhishek Sharma, who is yet to open his account at the T20 World Cup 2026.
The Punjab cricketer has endured a forgettable T20 World Cup campaign so far, registering three consecutive ducks against the USA, Pakistan and the Netherlands.
He missed the game against Namibia due to a stomach bug. Gavaskar advised Abhishek to spend more time at the crease and settle in before attempting big shots.
Sunil Gavaskar on Abhishek Sharma’s struggles
“Maybe the expectations might be weighing just a little too heavily on him. He is a lovely guy. If he had got a flying start in the first game, things might have been different.
“But now, you can sense that the expectations of being the big guy, the six-hitter, the No. 1 batter in the team, might be weighing heavily on him,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
“I think with the range of shots he has, he has to give himself a little more time in the middle. Not be looking to open his innings with a boundary or a six. If he gets it, then fine – but looking to play across the line for the big shot, no. Even if there are four dot balls, it does not matter because in the next four to eight balls, he can make up for that,” he added.
Leading up to the T20 World Cup, Abhishek was in fine form, scoring two half-centuries against New Zealand in a home T20I series. He ended as the third-highest run-getter in that series, aggregating 182 runs from five matches at a strike-rate of 249.32.
On the contrary, the three ducks in the ongoing T20 World Cup means that Abhishek now has five ducks overall in 2026. This list also includes Pakistan’s Saim Ayub, who has been dismissed for a duck six times this year. Gavaskar urged the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batsman to play “smart cricket”.
“He has to play smart cricket. He has to get the circulation in his legs. He has to get off the mark. If you are playing for India, you have to get off the mark, and everything will fall in place.
“The way he is getting out is very predictable. The mindset is such that, ‘I am being seen as somebody who hits at a 200 strike-rate, I have to live up to that.’ You don’t have to. It’s just natural – when you take a couple of singles, you get a sense of the pitch. He will get a big score once he gets set,” added the former Mumbai cricketer.
India finished their group stage campaign with a 100 % record following their 17-run win over the Netherlands on Wednesday. The Men in Blue are in Group 1 for the Super Eight stage, along with 2024 runners-up South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe. India will take on South Africa in their first Super Eight match in Ahmedabad on 22 February.
