New Delhi, February 20: Indian opener Abhishek Sharma is struggling with poor form in the T20 World Cup 2026, having failed to score in all three matches so far. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar believes that the expectations on the 25-year-old may be overwhelming, and he should focus on building his innings rather than trying to hit big shots too early.

Speaking on ‘Star Sports’, Gavaskar stated, “Abhishek Sharma is a good player, but the pressure of expectations is weighing him down. If he had made a good start against the USA, it would have been a different story. Now, the pressure of hitting long sixes and being a top batter is evident. With his shot range, he needs to spend time at the crease. He cannot try to hit boundaries or sixes on the very first ball of his innings. If big shots come off, that’s fine. But he shouldn’t force himself to play big shots.”

Sharma’s troubles began with a ‘golden duck’ against the USA, and he has since failed to open his account against Pakistan and the Netherlands, getting out in the first over each time. Emphasizing the importance of natural stroke play, Gavaskar added, “Take a single and start. Four dot balls don’t matter. He (Abhishek) can make up for it later. He needs to play smartly. Spend some time at the crease and then play your natural game. First and foremost, just get started. Every batter wants their first run. Once he gets that, everything will fall into place.”

Despite his poor form, Indian team’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate expressed confidence in Sharma’s ability to bounce back, stating, “He (Abhishek) batted really well in the nets last night. He batted for 90 minutes. You need to give him a little time. He wasn’t feeling great during the group phase and spent some days in the hospital, missing the game against Namibia. It has been a frustrating tournament for him so far, but I saw some very good signs in his ball striking last night. So there’s no concern; he will be fine when the second phase comes.”

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