Gautam Gambhir on backing Abhishek Sharma after three T20 WC ducks

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir explains backing Abhishek Sharma through his T20 World Cup slump of three ducks, drawing on his own past struggles. He urged the batter to be aggressive, leading to a match-winning fifty in the final.

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has opened up about the decision to back World No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma, who scored three ducks in a row during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which the Men in Blue successfully defended by defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in Ahmedabad.

The Indian opener, who entered the tournament with high expectations, saw a low string of scores with three straight ducks in Group A matches against the USA, Pakistan, and the Netherlands. Abhishek scored a half-century against Zimbabwe during the Super 8 stage before the final. Yet on the biggest stage of the Final, Abhishek rediscovered his form, smashing 52 off 21 balls and registering the fastest fifty of the 2026 edition in just 18 deliveries, which helped India to post a monstrous total of 255.

Gambhir's Pep Talk: 'Out of Runs, Not Out of Form'

Speaking on JioHotstar, the Indian head coach Gambhir recalled his own difficult phase during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2014 and said such lean patches are part of a cricketer's journey. Gautam Gambhir backed Abhishek, saying the player is not out of form but simply "out of runs", while urging him to play with more aggression and ignore outside criticism.

"I've had a worse experience than him in 2014 during the IPL, when I got three ducks in a row and then another in the fourth game as well. All I told him was that people will look at your scores and will talk about your form, but actually, you are not out of form; you are just out of runs. The only time you can judge your form is when you have played 20 to 30 balls in the middle, and he hasn't even faced 20 balls yet. All I wanted him to do was go out there in the next game and be even more aggressive compared to what he was in the previous game," Gambhir said.

'Play Fearlessly': A Coach's Backing

The head coach also encouraged the World No.1 T20I batter to play fearlessly and stay committed to his natural attacking approach.

"If you want to hit the first ball out of the ground, go and do it, and commit yourself to it 100 per cent because it really doesn't matter what the world thinks about you. All that matters is what those 30 people in the dressing room think about you, and that is exactly what should matter to all the boys," he added.

Unwavering Faith in the Dressing Room

Expressing confidence in the team, Gambhir said the dressing room always had full faith in every player selected to represent the country in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

"There was no doubt whatsoever about Abhishek. For anyone, to be honest, in that dressing room, we always had faith and trust in everyone who was selected to represent the country in the T20 World Cup," Gambhir said.

India's Historic Title Defence

Team India made history by securing a record-breaking third T20 World Cup title and becoming the first-ever team to defend the title and win it as a home nation following a brilliant 96-run win over New Zealand at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)