Under the Spotlight: What’s Troubling Abhishek Sharma at T20 World Cup 2026?

India’s star batter Abhishek Sharma is badly exposed in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He came into the tournament with lots of promises, however, the pressure and competitiveness of the event took him off the blocks quickly. He is now searching for answers in the middle, as teams have identified clear weaknesses in his batting technique over the last few days.

The young opening batter of India now looks confused in the middle. His usual approach to go hard from ball one has failed badly, forcing him to rethink how to build a long innings at the crease. This has certainly brought an impact on India’s batting strategy, because Abhishek’s runs at the top order have stopped suddenly. The Indian team is concerned because the stats of Abhishek Sharma in this year’s mega event are very troubling, showcasing why he is still not ready to challenge top oppositions at the biggest stage.  

In this article, we will take a look at why the world's top ranked T20I batter is struggling badly in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Let’s first take a look at the overall stats of Abhishek Sharma below, so that we can have an idea why India relied heavily on him to go big in this tournament.

Abhishek Sharma Overall Stats in T20Is

The overall stats of Abhishek Sharma in T20Is are remarkable, showcasing why he became the top ranked T20I batter in a short period of time. By playing just 42 matches, he has scored 1312 runs in T20Is at an average of 33.64. The most impressive aspect of Abhishek’s batting is his strike rate, which is among the highest of all current Indian batters. It clearly sets him apart from others, especially in the Powerplay, when he utilizes the field restrictions to score as many runs as possible.

Statistic	Value
Matches	42
Total Runs	1,312
Highest Score	135 (vs England, Feb 2025)
Average	33.64
Strike Rate	191.25
Centuries (100s)	2
Half-Centuries (50s)	8
Ducks	6
Fours / Sixes	125 / 89
Wickets (Bowling)	6
Best Bowling	2/3 (vs England)

Past Performances of Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma delivered strong performances last year, especially during the Asia Cup 2025 when he actually became the mainstay of the Indian batting lineup. He was the highest run scorer in that tournament, amassing 314 runs at an average of 44.85 in seven matches. After that, Abhishek also won the Player of the Series award in the T20I series against Australia, once again showcasing his strong form in the shortest format of the game. These achievements made India believe that Abhishek was ready for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, however, the reality has hit them hard over the last few days.

Exposing the Leg Side Play in ICC T20 World Cup 2026

Abhishek Sharma got completely exposed in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 when teams identified his weaknesses in the leg side play. He is the kind of batter who likes room to free his arms, something that has brought him plenty of success in the past. However, when teams cut off that option in the last few matches, his attacking approach was neutralized, giving bowlers a clear plan to dismiss him in the early overs.

As a result, the overhyped Abhishek Sharma registered back-to-back ducks in three consecutive group-stage matches of the mega tournament. He was also very uncomfortable in the last clash against South Africa in which he just scored 15 runs off 12 balls. This has now become a big concern not just for him, but for the Indian team that is looking to find consistency at the top order.

Final Words

Abhishek Sharma presents a perfect example of how sloppy techniques can quickly fail in international cricket. He is one of those batters who entered the international circuit with plenty of promising performances, but now, with his game under scrutiny, he is finding it difficult to score even against less experienced bowlers. It would be interesting to see how Abhishek will overcome this challenge, as he does not have much time and Indian team needs his runs badly to stay alive in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.