New Delhi: Abhishek Sharma Had a tough start to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, registering three ducks in a row – a phase that left him in a bad state of mind. Looking back, he admits he reached out to his childhood friend Shabman Gul At the BCCI Naman Awards during this difficult period, the two openly exchanged views.Gill was asked if he had given any advice to Abhishek before the tournament. With a smile, he replied, “Who will advise the world’s No. 1 T20I batsman?”
But Abhishek was quick to turn the tide, running his own lean race before anyone else could.“I was the one who messaged him, tell me after 3 ducks, before another record is set” (I was the one who messaged him after three ducks and said give me your bat, otherwise another unwanted record would have been set), Abhishek said, laughing at his struggle.“Asne bola tha, to kar lega” (He told me, you will handle it).When asked whose beat he liked the most, Abhishek didn’t hesitate.“Shabman ka hi” (Shabman’s of course), he said.Gill, in turn, added another layer to their friendship with a playful comment: “He plays with my bat all the time.”Abhishek returned in style to score 52 off just 21 balls in the T20 World Cup final and gave India a solid start with an opening stand of 98 along with Sanju Samson.India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs to clinch the title – their third T20 World Cup victory after victories in 2007 and 2024.
