Following Abhishek Sharma’s poor T20 World Cup 2026 form, Sunil Gavaskar advised him to focus on singles to settle at the crease. With his spot under threat after India’s loss to South Africa, team management is weighing top-order changes.
Former Team India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has offered advice to the swashbuckling opener Abhishek Sharma amid his poor run of form in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Abhishek’s struggling form has been among the topics of discussion following the Men in Blue’s 76-run defeat to South Africa in the Super 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, February 22.
The left-handed opener, who is the World No.1 T20I batter and powerplay dominator, was under immense scrutiny following his three successive ducks in the group stage matches against the USA, Pakistan, and the Netherlands. The after-effects of stomach infection, which ruled him out of the Namibia match, appeared to have affected his rhythm and form in the matches against Pakistan and the Netherlands.
In the Super 8 match against South Africa, Abhishek Sharma showed glimpses of returning to form, amassing two fours and a six, before he was dismissed for just 15 runs off 12 balls, leaving Team India in a reeling position of 26/3. The top-order batters, including Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma, walked back to the dressing room inside the powerplay.
‘Take a Single and Get off the Mark’
With poor returns in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, Abhishek Sharma has become a cause of concern for the Team India management, as the southpaw’s inconsistency brought instability at the top order. Former India captain turned commentator Sunil Gavaskar offered a simple piece of advice to Abhishek in order to get back to his form.
Speaking on Star Sports after India’s 76-run defeat to South Africa, Gavaskar advised Abhishek to focus on settling at the crease rather than attempting big shots early in the innings. Former India captain emphasized the importance of patience, taking singles to get started, and not worrying about the dot balls, as the runs will come later.
“With his shot range, he needs to spend time in the middle. He cannot try to hit a boundary or a six on the first ball of his innings,” Sunil Gavaskar said.
“If the big shots come, fine. But he shouldn’t force himself to play the big shot across the line. Take a single and get off the mark. Even four dot balls don’t matter. He can make up for them later,” he added.
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Abhishek Sharma headed into the tournament as one of the key players for Team India’s title defence quest, given his explosive batting and status as the World No.1 batter coming off a prolific 2025 where he scored heavily at a remarkable strike rate of 193.46.
However, things have gone haywire as the southpaw struggles to find consistency in the initial matches, scoring three consecutive ducks and a 15-run dismissal in the Super 8 against South Africa, leaving India’s top-order under pressure and raising questions about his form heading into the crucial Super 8 stage.
Will Abhishek Sharma Be Dropped from Playing XI?
Abhishek Sharma’s poor run of form has caused concern for Team India management as the Men in Blue are in a tricky situation, given that the semifinal chances are in jeopardy following a defeat to South Africa in the Super 8 in Ahmedabad.
Speaking at the press conference, Ryan ten Doeschate said that the food poisoning that Abhishek Sharma suffered before the tournament had clearly hampered his preparation and progress, affecting his confidence and timing at the crease. However, India’s assistant coach hinted at a possible shake-up in the playing XI, suggesting that experienced batters like Sanju Samson could be considered to strengthen the top order.
India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak admitted that Team India is in a position where they cannot afford ‘another off day’ after their top order’s collapse against South Africa, and that the team management will have to think carefully whether to make changes or back the current players to bounce back in their must-win fixtures against Zimbabwe and West Indies.
Abhishek Sharma’s place in the playing XI has come under serious threat, as his ongoing struggles at the top order have sparked speculation that team management might consider a big change after India’s heavy Super 8 loss to South Africa, with reports suggesting he could be one of the underperforming batters reviewed in a potential shake‑up of the batting lineup.