New Delhi: India’s star opener… Abhishek Sharma The T20 World Cup 2026 has found itself at the center of intense criticism. The left-hander endured a disastrous start to the tournament, failing to open his account in the first three matches as he registered three consecutive ducks.In the lead up to the final, Abhishek managed to score just 89 runs in seven matches, including those three ducks in the group stage. He returned briefly among the runs but could only score 15 against South Africa in the fourth match. He then rediscovered his touch with a blistering 55 against Zimbabwe in the fifth game. However, his form dipped again as he managed just 10 against the West Indies and nine in the semi-final against England.
Despite the inconsistent runs, the team management continued to support him, with coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Surya Kumar Yadav showing full confidence in the young opener.In the final, Abhishek turned the heat on the New Zealand bowlers, scoring an 18-ball fifty as India piled up a massive 255/5. India then successfully defended their T20 World Cup title by restricting New Zealand to 159.Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Hayden praised Abhishek, calling him a “badass”.“I’m a big fan of Abhishek, and there was a lot of talk about his position throughout the tournament. Got a few ducks in a row in the pool games, and all of a sudden, you think he’s under pressure, but those are the guys you want in the big moments, because they’re bullies and they go out on fire. That’s how he puts pressure on the opposition, that’s how Abhishek put pressure, and put pressure on Abhishek. The final set the game,” the former wicketkeeper said. Willow said on the Talk Cricket podcast.Hayden also praised New Zealand for reaching another final but pointed to their repeated struggles at the final hurdle.“New Zealand did a good job again to get to the final. I thought New Zealand were really red-hot for the final. The way Finn Allen and Tim Seifert were batting. I thought they were one of those ways in the tournament where everything was going their way. But the last hurdle. [they failed to cross]. The classier team wins, right?” he added.Abhishek finished the tournament with 141 runs at a strike rate of 158.42.
