Two ducks in two matches: Abhishek Sharma falls in four balls vs Pakistan, yet to score a run in T20 World Cup

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.

Abhishek was subsequently unavailable for selection during India’s second match against Namibia in Delhi earlier this week.  Battling an upset stomach and viral fever, the 25-year-old was also admitted in a hospital in the capital. The southpaw regained fitness on match eve in Colombo and went through an extended net session before replacing Sanju Samson in the playing XI on Sunday.

Despite his supreme form over the last few months, Abhishek has had a mercurial run since late January, recording four ducks in his last seven innings, three of which were first-ball dismissals.

India, however, rebounded quickly from the early dismissal with Abhishek’s opening partner, Ishan Kishan, storming through the Powerplay. At the time of writing, India had scaled to 41 for one in five overs.