World No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma registered his third duck of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. After failing against the USA and Pakistan, Abhishek scored 0 off 3 balls against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday, February 18. Reacting to Abhishek’s knock after the game, former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar wondered whether the weight of expectations was bearing heavily on the young batter.
The left-hander came into the T20 World Cup with tremendous momentum behind him. Abhishek has been the standout batter in world cricket over the last year and a half and looked ready to rip into teams in the global tournament. However, things have not gone according to plan. A bout of illness, mixed with smart planning from opposition sides, has made life difficult for Abhishek, and it now seems to be affecting him mentally as well.
After getting dismissed against the Netherlands, Abhishek threw his head back and appeared to curse himself while walking back to the dugout. Former India batter Sunil Gavaskar reacted to the knock after the game and said that he felt for the youngster. Gavaskar wondered whether Abhishek was being weighed down by the expectations he had built around himself.
“The expectations might be weighing him down. If he had got off to a flying start in the first game, things could have been different. But now you can see that the expectations of being the best six-hitter and the No. 1 batter are weighing heavily on him,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports after the game.
HOW DID ABHISHEK SHARMA GET OUT?
On Wednesday, Abhishek was bowled by off-spinner Aryan Dutt, who darted in a slider that crashed into his stumps. The youngster misread the length and, instead of coming forward, rocked back. The ball sneaked through and rattled the stumps.
Gavaskar did not criticise the batter for the manner of his dismissal. Instead, he stressed that Abhishek needed to give himself a little more time at the crease. Gavaskar said the youngster needed to get some circulation in his legs before trying to unleash his full range of shots.
“I honestly believe with the range of shots that he has, he has to give himself a little time in the middle. He can’t be looking to open his account with a four or a six. If he gets it, fine. He cannot be playing across the line looking for that shot. Tap it for a single. Even if there are four dots, he can make up for those four balls later. I think he needs to play a little smart cricket at the start. Maybe give it an over or two, get some circulation in the legs, and then play his shots,” Gavaskar concluded.
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Former cricketer Aakash Chopra also pointed out that Abhishek had begun playing cross-batted shots early in his innings instead of trusting his strength of hitting through the line. Chopra believed that Abhishek needed to back himself and continue playing straight, even on surfaces offering slight grip and turn.
Abhishek will now get a three-day break before India’s first Super 8 game in the T20 World Cup. The match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The lack of travel could help Abhishek recover better and settle back into his rhythm.
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