Abhishek Sharma’s poor form, with only one fifty in the T20 World Cup 2026, is a major concern for Team India ahead of the final against New Zealand. While Mohammad Kaif suggests replacing him, former coach Ravi Shastri backs him, leaving the management with a tough call on his playing XI spot.
As Team India has inched closer to defending their T20 World Cup triumph, opener Abhishek Sharma’s form has been a cause of concern for the co-hosts ahead of the much-anticipated title clash against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.
Abhishek has struggled to find any rhythm during the marquee event, as he registered three consecutive ducks in the group stage and had moderate outings in the Super 8 stage, with scores of 10 and 15 against South Africa and the West Indies, respectively. The southpaw had his best outing in the Super 8 match against Zimbabwe, scoring 55 off 30 balls. Apart from his solitary half-century, Abhishek Sharma has shown little competition in the tournament.
In the semifinal against England, Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for just 9 runs, further extending his poor run of form in the T20 World Cup 2026. His struggles have raised concerns over India’s top-order stability, putting the team management in a tough spot ahead of the final against New Zealand.
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From Explosive Opener to Silent Starter
Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, Abhishek Sharma was one of the ‘x-factors’ for Team India, given his explosive batting at the top order and ability to provide quick starts in the powerplay. The southpaw is often known as a powerplay dominator as he unleashed his firepower in the first six overs of the innings, setting the tone for big totals.
The maurauding opener has an astounding strike rate of 184.12 in the powerplay, underlining his ability to dominate bowlers and give India an early advantage. However, in the T20 World Cup 2026, he has struggled to replicate this form consistently, with a strike rate of 131.37 in the powerplay. Abhishek Sharma has scored 67 runs at an average of 11.16 in the first six overs of the innings.
The southpaw was entrusted with the task of dominating the powerplay and providing India with explosive starts, but his recent struggles have meant the team has often failed to get the early momentum they rely on.
In the ongoing T20 World Cup, which is his debut, Abhishek Sharma has aggregated just 89 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 12.71 and a strike rate of 130.88 in seven matches. With a batter who has been entrusted with a responsibility to provide quick starts at the top, such numbers highlight India’s dilemma over whether to persist with Abhishek Sharma in the playing XI or consider a more in-form opener for the high-stakes final against New Zealand.
‘India Can Give Abhishek Sharma a Break’
With the T20 World Cup 2026 Final looming against New Zealand, Abhishek Sharma’s poor form has been a big headache for the Team India management. However, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif suggested that the head coach Gautam Gambhir-led management can consider giving a break to Abhishek Sharma and bringing in Rinku Singh as his replacement in the playing XI.
“India can give Abhishek Sharma a break. He has played many matches now. There is no harm in making changes. You can make changes in the shortest format. Roston Chase opened against India as Brandon King was out of form. They backed him for five or six matches, but they gave him a break for a big match. I believe that, like you brought in Sanju, and he did a great job, so that change worked in your favour,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
“India have proven players. Rinku Singh scores runs everywhere, be it Tests, Ranji Trophy, or the IPL. Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj also take wickets everywhere. When you look in the dugout to see who can replace Abhishek Sharma, you see Rinku Singh sitting there. So, bring him in. A guy is struggling, and another guy is sitting outside despite doing well,” he added.
Abhishek Sharma was ruled out of India’s second group stage match against Namibia due to a stomach infection before playing the remainder of the tournament till semifinal. Despite a poor run of form, the team management persisted with the southpaw as an opener, hoping he could regain confidence and provide the quick starts India needed at the top of the order.
However, Abhishek’s continued struggles have only intensified the debate over whether a change is necessary ahead of the final against New Zealand.
The Biggest Difference Between Abhishek and Samson
Abhishek Sharma’s struggles at the top prompted the Team India management to bring back Sanju Samson into the playing XI, and the latter seized the opportunity with two consecutive Player of the Match performances against the West Indies in Super 8 and another against England in the semifinal.
Mohammad Kaif highlighted that the gap between Abhishek and Samson, stating that the former is still new to ICC events and developing his game, while Sanju is an established T20 player with 8,000+ runs and proven big-match experience.
“The biggest difference between Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson is that Abhishek Sharma is still quite new to ICC events. He has a fantastic record, if you leave ICC events aside. There is a big difference when playing in an ICC event like the World Cup," a former India cricketer added.
“Sanju has scored over 8000 runs in T20S. Be it the runs or six-hitting ability, his name comes in the top 10 in the IPL. He is already an established player. Abhishek Sharma is still young and has to work on his game. He is not a finished product. Don’t compare him with Sanju. Sanju is already a finished product. He made his India debut 11 years ago,” he concluded.
Sanju Samson’s two back-to-back match-winning performances pushed him to become India’s third leading run-getter of the tournament with 232 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 77.33 and an astonishing strike rate of 201.73 in four matches.
Shastri Backs Abhishek Sharma in the Final
Amid the criticism around Abhishek Sharma's poor form, former India captain and head coach Ravi Shastri has backed Abhishek Sharma to feature in India's playing XI for the final against New Zealand.
Speaking on ICC Review after India's semifinal win over England, Shastri advised Gautam Gambhir not to drop Abhishek from the playing XI, stating that the team should back him to play with confidence and trust his abilities in the final.
“I think they've just got to stick with him now, Don't make any changes as the side's having a good run,” Shastri said.
"Stick with that and just tell him to believe in your ability, believe in your strengths and back your strengths, don't go into a shell where you're tentative or you're timid, We back you, you back your strengths and go out there and play. The last game might be the best game for you,” he added.
With Team India aiming to script history on home soil, the team management is expected to take a call on Abhishek Sharma’s place in the playing XI as they weigh his current form against the high stakes of the T20 World Cup 2026 final.
