Mumbai, Mar 5: It all began with an upset tummy which derailed the juggernaut that Abhishek Sharma had been when this edition of the T20 World Cup got underway.
Having finished as the second-highest run-getter in 2025 among top nations, Abhishek was touted to dominate the tournament but the law of averages seemed to be catching up with the world No. 1 T20 batter when he returned to the dugout with three ducks in as many matches.
Irrespective of his high-flying start to international cricket and even the pedigree that he carries, the past few weeks have shown that the game of cricket is replete with uncertainties and even the best in the business can look ordinary at the biggest stage.
While he thrived in dominating bowlers from all around the world to rapidly rise to the top of the world rankings in a format as fickle as T20Is, Abhishek has been forced to put his all-out approach on the back burner and most importantly, ‘give himself some time in the middle’.
Now, not only he refrains from going after the bowlers from the first ball, but even chooses to defend a few – something that surprised the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.
Not long ago, India captain Suryakumar Yadav was stuck in the quagmire of doing all that he could in the nets but hard work behind the scenes not translating in on-field success.
By his own admission, a simple process of taking time off the game benefitted him and when he did return, giving himself time in the middle resulted in Suryakumar banishing a woeful 2025 in style.
Abhishek seems to be following the same path as he has started to not go all-out from ball one, but he doesn’t miss out on cashing in on any opportunity to score.
But as he wades his way through the puzzle of what should be the best approach, it is no exaggeration in saying that one of the country’s brightest young stars is caught up in that place where several of other Indian players have been before. It is, of course, the one where all the attention is focussed on him but the going gets as tough as it can get.
So then, is it the case of Abhishek losing his confidence as he has also dropped a few catches of late? “No, I think just sometimes this game can be hard on you, cruel on you. (It is a) similar situation that Sanju (Samson) found himself in, that, in your career, you’re going to find moments like this,” India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel, who addressed the media on the eve of the semifinal, said.