Leading up to the T20 World Cup 2026, Abhishek Sharma was expected to be India's destroyer-in-chief. However, the southpaw has failed to live up to the hype so far.
While Abhishek failed to open his account in the Group A fixtures against USA, Pakistan and Netherlands, he managed to score 15 off 12 balls in the Super 8 opener against South Africa.
The swashbuckling left-hander showed a glimpse of his brilliance when he made 55 off 30 balls versus Zimbabwe, but registered another low score (10 off 11) in India’s do-or-die Super 8 fixture against the West Indies.
Despite a lean run, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel threw his weight behind the No.1-ranked T20I batter as the showpiece event heads into the knockout stage.
The defending champions are due to face England in the second semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday (March 5).
On the eve of the marquee clash, Morkel advised Abhishek to revisit his "feel good moments" and "start from zero".
"I think just sometimes this game can be hard on you, cruel on you. A similar situation that Sanju found himself in. In your career, you are going to find moments like this. And this is good growth for him, it is good learning for him. For a young sort of guy finding his feet in international cricket, this will only help him down the line in Indian cricket," Morkel said in the pre-match presser.
When India faced England in a T20I match at the Wankhede Stadium last time, Abhishek Sharma blasted 135 off 54 balls to script his team’s crushing 150-run victory. Morkel asked the Indian opener to draw inspiration from his best times at the venue.
"He is not a guy who worries too much about technique. Normally, those sorts of players take a lot more time to get into confidence. So like I said, it is a fresh page for him tomorrow. Opportunity to go and do well. Scored a hundred here against England not too long ago (last year, a score of 135, the highest score by an Indian in T20Is). For him, it is just tapping into those little videos and looking at his feel-good moments and building a blueprint and knowing he is starting on zero tomorrow. It is a new opportunity for him," the bowling coach added.
(With ANI Inputs)
