"Head Is Muddled": India Great Dishes Out No-Nonsense Verdict On Abhishek Sharma's Poor Form, Sends Strong Warning
Former India captain Anil Kumble gave a clear reason behind star opener Abhishek Sharma's recent poor form.
- Legendary spinner Anil Kumble suggested that India opener Abhishek Sharma is lacking in confidence
- "The head is a bit muddled. There is lack of confidence," Kumble said after Abhishek's failure vs West Indies
- "England will pose a different challenge. I don't see Harry Brook holding back Will Jacks," Kumble warned
Abhishek Sharma's struggles in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 have been well-documented. After three ducks in a row in the group stage, he failed to contribute much against South Africa and West Indies, with his only notable knock coming against Zimbabwe. Against West Indies on Sunday, not only did Abhishek make just 10 runs off 11 balls, but he also seemed to curb his typically aggressive nature. Legendary India spinner Anil Kumble suggested that Abhishek might be lacking in confidence.
"The head is a bit muddled. There is lack of confidence. You want others to take the pressure off and India have done well. Now that India have won, he (Abhishek) will say, 'I need to start contributing'," said Kumble, speaking on ESPNcricinfo.
Abhishek's poor run has coincided with teams implementing a clear strategy by targeting him with off-spinners right from the first over. Kumble warned Abhishek that England would likely use a similar tactic by making Will Jacks bowl in the powerplay.
"England will pose a different challenge. They also have Jacks. I don't see Harry Brook holding back Jacks. He has bowled in the powerplay, so he bowls well," Kumble said.
Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis added that Abhishek has been able to avoid any "finger-pointing" due to India winning against West Indies and entering the semi-finals.
"The nice thing is that they won. When you are winning, the guy that is out of form gets carried by the team. If you lose, there is finger-pointing. A guy needs to take the brunt of the loss. So, if India would have lost tonight, there would have been a lot of finger-pointing at him," du Plessis said.
"So now there is a hopeful outlook - can he do it in the semifinals or can he turn it around?" du Plessis added.
India take on England in the second semi-final at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, March 5.
India Cricket Team