Three ducks in three matches: Abhishek Sharma’s nightmare form continues in T20 World Cup, falls in 3 balls vs Netherlands

The in-form Abhishek, who had entered the World Cup as the top-ranked batter in the format, has had a quiet start to his campaign with a stomach bug affecting him even before the tournament opener in Mumbai last week. Playing the match against the United States of America at the Wankhede Stadium despite being unwell, Abhishek fell for a golden duck, slapping pacer Ali Khan straight down to the sweeper cover fielder. He did not field later in the match.

“We unnecessarily don’t over-analyse. Sometimes you start making more assumptions than the opposition. He (Abhishek) has got his plan sorted and plays the way he wants to. Obviously, we discuss the opposition, their bowling, their strengths, and whatever they have been doing in the last few games,” India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had said ahead of the match against Netherlands.

He dwelled on the runs Abhishek made in the build-up to the World Cup. “In the T20 format, sometimes even a 10-ball 30 is equally important. So it’s not like he was out of runs. T20 is a high-risk game. One or the other player will get out. If we start stressing too much, players will feel unnecessary pressure. He (Abhishek) is in good form and has a clear mindset. That is what matters for us.”