Abhishek Sharma recorded three consecutive ducks in the group stage of T20 World Cup 2026.
After starting the competition with a golden duck against the USA, Abhishek fell ill and missed the match against Namibia. The southpaw returned to the team for the Pakistan clash but was dismissed by Salman Ali Agha for a four-ball duck.
During the last Group A fixture against the Netherlands, off-spinner Aryan Dutt cleaned up Sharma in the first over for a three-ball duck. As a result, the No.1-ranked T20I batter’s form has become a talking point ahead of the Super 8 phase of the competition.
Amid the recent slump, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has advised Abhishek Sharma to forget the "weight of expectations" and spend time in the middle before attempting big shots. In the three T20 World Cup matches he has played so far, the young left-hander has faced a total of eight deliveries.
"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.
Gavaskar wants Abhishek to play "smart cricket" rather than looking to live up to any pre-meditated expectations.
"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," Gavaskar remarked.
The recent struggles have now resulted in Abhishek Sharma registering five ducks in his last seven T20I innings, including two during the home series against New Zealand before the World Cup.
Abhishek will be keen to turn things around during India’s opening Super 8 fixture against South Africa, scheduled for February 22 in Ahmedabad.