Team India not ready to press panic button after Abhishek Sharma's three straight ducks; ‘Absolutely no discussion in…’

Abhishek Sharma is yet to open his T20 World Cup account but that doesn't bother the team management as hosts India gear up for the Super 8 challenge in Ahmedabad. After finishing unbeaten in the group stage, India will start their Super 8 campaign against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday in a Group 1 clash.

Coming into the tournament on the reputation of giving his team rollicking starts at the top of the order, Abhishek has failed to step up. After being dismissed for a duck in the first game against United States of America (USA), the 24-year-old had to miss the Namibia clash due to a stomach issue.

Although he returned against Pakistan, the southpaw encountered the same fate - dismissed without scoring. Things got worse when Abhishek was cleaned up against Netherlands, again for a duck - thus becoming the first Indian to achieve the unwanted feat in T20 World Cup.

However, Abhishek's form isn't a headache for the Indian team management as the Gautam Gambhir & Co, believes that the left-hander will deliver soon. “Absolutely no discussion in our team group about that. He is a world-class player,” India bowling coach Morne Morkel told reporters on Friday.

So far in the tournament, Abhishek's run-scoring void was filled by the likes of captain Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube and others. Morkel echoed the same and reiterated that Abhishek's return to form is just a matter of as he has been batting well at nets.

"So far in the tournament, luckily, we've had other guys standing up with Abhishek not scoring the runs you would like. We're going through a very important phase of the World Cup now, and I'm pretty sure he's going to deliver. Not just for the team, but also for all the viewers watching the game, because he's entertaining and we love to see that.

"He's hitting the ball well in the nets. It's just a matter of getting that start and getting his innings going," added the South African.

Sunil Gavaskar's advice for Abhishek Sharma

In all the three games, Abhishek was dismissed while trying to dominate from the onset. Although his intent has never been in question, Abhishek's aggressive approach inside the powerplay became his downfall.

With the Super 8 stage coming, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar urged the young opener to spend some time in the middle, before going for his shots. “Abhishek Sharma is a lovely guy, but expectations seem to be weighing on him. If he had started well against USA, it would have been different,” Gavaskar, who is commentating in T20 World Cup 2026, said.

"Now, the pressure of being the big six-hitter and top batter is showing. With his shot range, he needs to spend time in the middle. He cannot try to hit a boundary or six on the first ball of his innings. If the big shots come, fine. But he shouldn't force himself to play the big shots across the line," he added.

Catch the live action of the T20 World Cup 2026 with the complete T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule, and the T20 World Cup 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts for Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2026 and Most Wickets in T20 World Cup 2026.