Abhishek Sharma's crucial 55 (30) powered India to a 72-run win over Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup Super Eights. Bouncing back from a loss and illness, the opener credited the team's unwavering belief, saying they feel 'like a family'.
"It's actually meant like, you are in a family only, it's not just a team." Those words from Abhishek Sharma summed up the emotion behind a defining knock that helped the Indian cricket team roar back into contention in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. India secured a commanding 72-run victory over Zimbabwe in their Super Eights clash, bouncing back strongly from a 76-run thrashing by South Africa in Ahmedabad.
While the Men in Blue produced one of their cleanest batting displays of the tournament, it was Abhishek's composed 55 that stood out as the biggest positive for the defending champions. The left-handed opener, who had struggled for rhythm in the earlier matches, admitted there was a sense of relief after finally converting belief into performance. "Of course, there's a relief, but what I felt the days I've spent with the team, it was more like they had more belief than me," Abhishek told BCCI. "Teammates, coaches, they all just wanted me to do well... It's actually meant like, you are in a family only, it's not just a team."
A Recalibrated Approach
For three games, runs had eluded him. Even against South Africa, he managed only a brisk but desperate 15 off 12 balls. But in Chennai, the southpaw recalibrated his approach. His 55 came off 30 deliveries, bringing up his half-century in 26 balls, his second slowest in T20Is, but perhaps one of his most mature. Thirty-four of his first 50 runs came straight down the ground, accounting for 68 per cent of his scoring at that stage, the highest such proportion in his T20I career. He consciously targeted the V, repeatedly clearing long-on and long-off and striking cleanly over the bowler's head. After dispatching a no-ball from Tinotenda Maposa over covers, Abhishek shifted gears with calculated precision. He ended the powerplay with a straight six off Richard Ngarva and later struck Brian Bennett for another maximum over long-on. Unlike his previous outing, where he swung expansively in search of timing, this innings was built on control and awareness. He also displayed patience against spin, scoring 17 off 13 balls against Bennett and skipper Sikandar Raza, largely through singles and doubles. From a blistering 33 off 13 balls, he slowed down smartly, taking the next 13 deliveries to add 17 runs and reach his fifty, a tactical pause that allowed India's middle order to flourish around him.
Overcoming Distress with Team Support
Abhishek revealed he had begun his World Cup campaign under physical distress. "It didn't start the way I wanted. I was actually in the hospital, and I wasn't feeling well," he said. "Playing the first game for the country and that also in the World Cup... it wasn't the best start I wanted." Yet, it was the unwavering backing from the dressing room that kept him going. "No matter if you do another zero, probably get out early, you're going to play all the games, you're going to win the games for the team. So I think that's really important as a player to have that support."
Collective Belief and Rounded Approach
India's batting unit reflected that collective belief against Zimbabwe, dominating from the outset. Abhishek's willingness to spend 13 overs at the crease, rotate strike, he collected 13 singles and a double, and chose his moments to attack underlined a more rounded approach. "As a batting unit, we want to play the way we were playing the whole year... we have to dominate all the games," he asserted. "It's all dedicated to my team. I mean, I love this team."
Looking Ahead
With their title defence back on track, India will hope that Abhishek's emotionally charged, technically refined knock marks not just a return to form, but the start of something bigger in their World Cup campaign as India aim for a win in their next Super Eight clash against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday. (ANI)
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