What is going wrong with Abhishek Sharma in T20 World Cup 2026?

Abhishek Sharma was the ICC World No. 1 T20I batter heading into the ongoing World Cup.

Abhishek Sharma was expected to lead India’s title defense at the T20 World Cup 2026. He had destroyed every team he met in the bilateral series, with brutal run scoring and relentless boundary hitting. He seemed to show no signs of weakness and was supposed to be India’s main batting weapon.

However, things have gone from bad to worse for the left-handed batter. He has scored only 80 runs in the six innings he has played so far, with just a solitary half-century coming against Zimbabwe.

Against the West Indies, Sharma showed the amount of pressure he was under, dropping two easy catches on the field. In this situation, India may be forced to make a tough decision, such as dropping Abhishek from the team in the semi-final.

Why has Abhishek Sharma failed to score runs so far?

Abhishek Sharma could count himself unlucky as his superb form was disturbed by illness. According to reports, despite being ill, he played the match against the USA and was later admitted to a hospital in Delhi. Because of this, he could not play in the match against Namibia.

Since his return, he has not looked the same. Abhishek has struggled against off-spinners, with opposition teams primarily using slow spinners early in the attack to take the wicket of the Indian opener.

A deliberate attempt to force Abhishek to hit the ball to the offside has resulted in the batter taking the bait, only to pick the fielders stationed at the boundary ropes. Another strategy is to force him to play across the line, which has led to incidents like edging the ball, as happened against Pakistan.

The pitches in this World Cup have forced batsmen to adapt to the conditions, and Abhishek’s attitude of hitting every ball out of the boundary has been badly exposed. He needs to give himself time and play each ball on its merits, but he is running out of time as he faces both mental and physical pressure.

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