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Abhishek Sharma faces criticism after three geese in T20 World Cup; Kris Srikkanth urges him to remain calm before attacking ahead of Super Eights.
Abhishek Sharma is struggling for runs.
Abhishek Sharma’s difficult run on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup continued with one other duck against the Netherlands, marking his third consecutive rating of zero and raising concerns about his form. The left-hander, who jumped to the highest of the T20I rankings along with his aggressive strokeplay, got out trying similar pull shots against off-spinners within the last two matches against Pakistan and the Netherlands.
It has prompted former India captain Kris Srikkanth to supply some pointed advice. Speaking during a YouTube evaluation, Srikkanth urged the teen to indicate more composure at the beginning of his innings reasonably than launching into attacking strokes immediately.
“This dismissal he slogged and got out. While you’ve scored geese in the primary two games, take time for 2 balls at the least. There may be nothing fallacious in getting your eye in,” he said. He stressed that repeated failures demand self-assessment, adding, “There have to be something fallacious with you if you happen to are getting out for geese. You simply should assess it yourselves and take just a few balls.”
Srikkanth clarified that he was not suggesting a whole change in approach. “I might tell Abhishek not to vary his game but just take barely more time. Just get the texture of it initially,” he explained, while cautioning against playing across the road too early. “You play across the road when your mind shouldn’t be on top of things,” he observed.
Based on Srikkanth, the style of dismissal against the Netherlands hinted at anxiety. “The way in which he got out on this match was an indication of desperation,” he remarked, mentioning that even top T20 batters endure lean patches. Drawing a comparison, he noted how his partner Ishan Kishan takes just a few deliveries to settle before accelerating, suggesting Abhishek adopt an analogous adjustment period.
“Why are attempting to smash every ball, Abhishek? Attempt to play 4 balls inside the crease. There may be nothing fallacious in that. As a player, you might have to make some personal adjustments. The world is cruel. People will praise when you’re doing brilliantly but they’ll criticize in a stretch like this,” he added.
With India starting the Super Eights against South Africa on Sunday, Abhishek’s response could determine whether this slump is as big as his purple patch last yr or simply an aberration. It must be noted that the Punjab batter did fight a serious illness in the course of the tournament and has received ample public backing from the team, which he deserves. But a pair more such failures could lead on to serious pressure.
February 21, 2026, 23:40 IST
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