Solving The Abhishek Sharma Puzzle: Will The World No. 1 Batter Fire For India vs England In T20 World Cup Semi-Final

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 expected 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 the pedigree 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 on the biggest stage.

While he thrived in dominating bowlers from around the world to rapidly rise to the top of the 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 does he refrain from going after the bowlers from the first ball, he 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 everything possible in the nets, yet finding that hard work behind the scenes wasn't translating into on-field success.

By his own admission, taking time away from the game helped him reset, and when he returned, giving himself time in the middle allowed him to banish a woeful 2025 in style.

Abhishek seems to be following the same path: he is no longer going all-out from ball one, but he is still cashing in whenever an opportunity to score presents itself.

But as he navigates the puzzle of what approach works best, it's no exaggeration to say that one of the country's brightest young stars is stuck in a phase that several other Indian players have been in before — where all the attention is focused on him, but the going is as tough as it gets.

So then, is it a matter of Abhishek losing confidence, especially after dropping 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 — in your career, you're going to find moments like this,” India's bowling coach Morne Morkel said while addressing the media on the eve of the semifinal, responding to a PTI query.

“This is good growth; it's good learning for him. For a young guy finding his feet in international cricket, this will only help him down the line in Indian cricket.” The South African was confident that for Abhishek, it is always just a matter of one or two balls to rediscover his rhythm.

“Coming back to his form, Abhishek — with his way of playing — it's one or two shots that can give him that rhythm, that confidence back, and that for me is a pleasing sign,” Morkel said.

“He's not a guy that worries too much about technique. Normally, those sort of players take a lot more time to get into confidence,” he added.

India and England have met twice in the semifinal stage, and both teams have won a game each. In fact, the winner of these contests has eventually gone on to win the T20 World Cup.

It was exactly a year ago that Abhishek announced his arrival at the Wankhede Stadium in T20 Internationals, hammering an English attack — which included some of the same bowlers he will face in the semifinal — for 13 sixes and seven fours in a 54-ball 135.

“It's a fresh page for him tomorrow (Thursday), an opportunity to go and do well. He had scored a hundred here against England not too long ago,” Morkel recalled.

“So for him, it's just about tapping into those little videos, looking at his feel-good moments, building a blueprint and knowing he's starting on zero tomorrow. It's a new opportunity for him,” he added.

Topics mentioned in this article

Abhishek Sharma India Cricket Team England Cricket Team T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket