T20 WC: Surya dismisses concerns over Abhishek's form with bold remark
Surya mentioned that the team wants Abhishek to play with a set template, and the southpaw is just trying to deliver that
The defending champions, India, are set to start their Super 8 campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 against South Africa on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, while addressing the media in a pre-match press conference on Saturday, gave his take on what he thinks about the lean patch of young opener Abhishek Sharma.
Big innings loading from Abhishek
Upon being asked about Abhishek Sharma’s underwhelming run with the bat in the ongoing T20 World Cup, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav said that he does not worry about Abhishek’s form; instead, he worries about the people who are concerned about Abhishek’s form.
Surya went on to add that everyone knows about the capabilities of Abhishek Sharma and indirectly expressed his confidence that a big innings from Abhishek is loading. Surya said that while Abhishek is short of runs at the moment, he is worried about the teams he will play against, as everyone knows what happens when Abhishek gets going on his day.
We can cover for him
Surya also mentioned what the team thinks about Abhishek’s form, saying that the team wants him to play with a set template and the southpaw is just trying to deliver that. He further added that in team sports, these things happen, and if Abhishek is struggling to find his rhythm, the team is ready to cover for him just like he covered for everyone last year.
Notably, Abhishek was India’s top scorer in T20Is in 2025 but is yet to open his account in the T20 World Cup 2026. So far, he has played three games and was dismissed for a duck on all three occasions. Abhishek also missed the group stage game against Namibia due to a stomach infection.
Abhishek’s dream run in 2025
Suryakumar and Team India’s trust in Abhishek Sharma’s batting abilities can be a result of the southpaw’s dream run in 2025, where, in 21 matches, he scored 859 runs at an average of 42.95 and an incredible strike rate of 200. Abhishek was also India’s top scorer in the format in the calendar year, with almost 300 more runs than second-placed Tilak Verma, who scored 567 runs.