Heading into the T20 World Cup 2026, Abhishek Sharma was expected to be India's destroyer-in-chief. However, the left-handed opener failed to live up to the hype, bagging three consecutive ducks in the group-stage of the tournament.

While Abhishek missed India’s Group A clash against Namibia due to stomach infection and fever, he couldn’t trouble scorers in the matches against USA, Pakistan and Netherlands. As a result, the No.1-ranked T20I batter’s form has become a major talking point.

However, Abhishek Sharma seems to be in great spirits ahead of India’s opening Super 8 fixture against South Africa, scheduled for February 22 in Ahmedabad.

In a video shared by BCCI, the southpaw gave a fiery pep talk as the team formed a tight huddle during the practice session on Friday (February 20). He concluded his speech with Sikh jaikara, ‘Jo Bole So Nihaal, Sat Sri Akaal‘, sparking an immediate roar from teammates and support staff alike.

“Just going to motivate the guys. Just going to keep the momentum, that's it. I hope it helps,” said Abhishek before addressing the rest of his team.

"It's a sign of a champion team. Let's keep enjoying each other's performances. That's the best thing we are doing right now. The energy we are showing in all the games is fantastic. And we are here to win every game. Let's keep enjoying, and one thing, 'Jo Bole So Nihaal, Sat Sri Akaal'," he stated in the pep talk.

Although Abhishek Sharma had a tough time in the first round, India made it to the Super 8 by winning all their Group A matches.

Apart from South Africa, the defending champions will face Zimbabwe (February 26 in Chennai) and West Indies (March 1 in Kolkata) in the Super 8 phase of the competition.