India captain Suryakumar Yadav remained calm and showed no concerning signs despite Abhishek Sharma’s slump with the bat at the top of the order in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Playing his first T20 World Cup, the 24-year-old is yet to open his account, scoring three consecutive ducks so far against the United States of America, Pakistan and the Netherlands.
Coming into the tournament with a strike rate of more than 190, Abhishek’s lean patch can be attributed to the slowness of the wickets, but that call for an excuse, especially at this level. So far, the team’s collective effort might have subdued Abhishek’s poor form, but it would be crucial Abhishek lets his bat do all the talking, considering the vital Super 8 stage.
Speaking on the eve of India’s Super 8 clash against South Africa, Suryakumar sent out a warning to the opposition amid talks of the left-hander’s form. “I am worried about the people who are worrying about Abhishek Sharma. I am more concerned for the teams that will face him later,” Suryakumar responded when asked about Abhishek.
Backing the southpaw, the Indian captain said its time for return the favour for what the opening batter had done for the national team last year. “He did everything last year, now it’s time for us to return the favour,” added Suryakumar. In 2025, Abhishek amassed 859 runs in 21 innings at an astonishing strike rate of 193.46.
USA game a ‘wake up call’
Playing at home as defending champions always comes with its own set of pressure. While the Indian team haven’t been able to bat flawless, like they did against New Zealand, the Men in Blue were time and again challenged by the associate nations – especially USA – in the group stages.
Sent into bat first at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India were undone by the USA bowlers to reel at 77/6 in the 13th over. But Suryakumar stood tall with his unbeaten 84 off 49 balls to make the difference. The Indian skipper admitted that game against USA was a “wake up call”.
“It’s very difficult to say there’s no pressure. When you’re playing on homesoil there is definitely pressure. At the same time every individuals deals with it differently. We’re trying out best to keep it simple. We try to be present and grounded. We got a good wake up call against USA which helped us stay in the moment and not think too much,” added Suryakumar.
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