Abhishek Sharma’s campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026 has gone from bad to worse after he bagged his third duck of the competition. On Wednesday, February 18, Abhishek failed to open his account in India’s last and final Group A clash against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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Aryan Dutt accounted for his wicket in the very first over after India opted to bat first in the contest. The left-handed Abhishek also registered his fifth T20I duck this year, thereby equalling Sanju Samson’s unwanted record for the most ducks by an Indian batter in T20Is in a calendar year. He has faced eight balls in this tournament so far, but is still waiting to score his first run and get off the mark.
HOW DUTT GOT THE BETTER OF ABHISHEK
Dutt set up Abhishek Sharma brilliantly before delivering the decisive blow. He began with a flatter delivery at 95.9 kph, drifting it into the left-hander, forcing Abhishek to stay leg-side and play it cautiously towards cover. The next ball was quicker and slid in again, with Abhishek hanging back and easing it to cover-point, still unable to break free.
Having created that uncertainty, Dutt pushed one through with extra pace. The new ball skidded sharply off the surface, and Abhishek, expecting a fraction more bounce and width, shaped up for the pull. However, the delivery wasn’t short enough. It hurried onto him, sneaked past his bat, and crashed into the stumps.
HOW HAS ABHISHEK PERFORMED IN 2026?
Abhishek Sharma was dismissed by fast bowler Ali Khan in India’s opening game against the United States (USA) on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. He then missed the subsequent match against Namibia after being admitted to hospital due to a stomach-related illness.
Abhishek returned to the playing XI in place of Sanju Samson for the clash against Pakistan, but fell to Salman Agha while attempting a lofted shot straight down the ground. Following his dismissal against the Dutch, Abhishek recorded his fifth duck in just his eighth T20I appearance this year. His other two ducks came in Raipur and Visakhapatnam during the T20I series against New Zealand.
In T20Is this year, Abhishek has experienced mixed fortunes, scoring 182 runs from eight matches at an average of 26. His highest score of 84 came in the series opener against the Kiwis in Nagpur. He will be eager to turn things around when India take on South Africa in their first Super 8 fixture on February 22 in Ahmedabad.
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