IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup: Mohammad Amir's 'Slogger' Jibe at Abhishek Sharma Sparks Online Trolling

Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir called India’s Abhishek Sharma a ‘slogger’ before the T20 World Cup 2026 clash, questioning his technique. Fans quickly defended Sharma, citing his stellar T20 stats and past dominance against Pakistan.

Former Pakistan pacer Mohammed Amir took a dig at India’s marauding opener Abhishek Sharma ahead of the much-anticipated clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, January 15.

India and Pakistan’s marquee fixture will take place as per the schedule, following Pakistan’s backtracking on boycotting the clash against arch–rivals. After the weeks of uncertainty and drama, the India-Pakistan clash is set to go ahead as scheduled, with fans eagerly anticipating a high-voltage encounter.

The clash between two arch-rivals is expected to grab the attention of the cricketing world, not only because of their rivalry, but also because of the recent off‑field drama over Pakistan’s initial threat to boycott the match before reversing its course after talks with Imran Khawaja-led ICC delegation, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh Cricket Board, and Emirates Cricket Board, has added extra intrigue and tension to this already explosive fixture.

‘Abhishek Sharma is a Slogger’

Abhishek Sharma is one of the key players for Team India in the much-anticipated clash against Pakistan, despite uncertainty looming over his availability due to a stomach infection. Ahead of the marquee fixture, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir labelled India’s left-handed opener ‘slogger’.

Speaking on a Pakistani show, ‘Harna Maana Hai’, Amir stated that Abhishek Sharma relies on aggressive hitting on easy pitches, lacks defensive technique, and hasn’t yet been tested on challenging conditions.

“He is just a slogger, that is how I see him. A player who cannot judge the line and defend the ball properly, can I call him a proper batter? He comes in and swings hard, and it connects well for him right now," former Pakistan pacer.

“But the day he (Abhishek) learns to handle tough lines and defend properly, I will change my opinion. You are playing on small grounds and flat wickets; you have not really been tested yet," he added.

Abhishek Sharma faced off Pakistan three times, including the final, at the Asia Cup 2025 and amassed 110 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 36.66 and a strike rate of 189.65. The southpaw played on a Dubai pitch, where the conditions heavily favoured batters with short boundaries and flat tracks, enabling Sharma to flourish against Pakistan’s bowling attack, countering claims that he only succeeds on easy surfaces.

‘Mohammad Amir Should Be Grateful He Didn’t Bowl to Abhishek Sharma’

Mohammed Amir’s opinion on Abhishek Sharma’s batting quickly sparked a backlash on social media, especially on X handle (formerly Twitter), with fans and cricket enthusiasts defending the Indian opener.

Taking to their X handles, Indian cricket fans and enthusiasts ridiculed former Pakistan’s ‘slogger’ remark, defending Abhishek Sharma’s credentials as the world’s best T20 batter, while others highlighted his consistent 40+ average, 190+ strike rate, performances on challenging pitches and dominance against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025.

Some trolled Mohammed Amir that he should be grateful he never had to bowl to Abhishek Sharma, while others mocked his critique, pointing out that ‘slogger’ maintaining such statistics is unheard of in T20 cricket.

Abhishek Sharma has amassed 1297 runs, out of which he has scored 861 runs at a strike rate of 189.64 in the first six overs of an innings. Which means the southpaw has accounted for around 66% of his total T20I runs in the powerplay, which underlines his dominance at the top of the order and his crucial role in giving India explosive starts in T20I matches.