'Has become star in short time': Ex-India cricketer blasts Abhishek Sharma before T20 World Cup semifinal

Mumbai, 4 March 2026 – As India braces for a high-stakes T20 World Cup semifinal against England at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, opener Abhishek Sharma finds himself at the centre of a growing debate over form, technique and temperament. The 24-year-old left-hander, heralded for his explosive potential, has managed only 80 runs in six tournament outings and is yet to string together a sequence of match-defining innings.

Abhishek’s campaign began with three consecutive ducks against the USA, Pakistan and the Netherlands, a sequence broken by a 15-ball 15 versus South Africa. His lone half-century came against Zimbabwe, but the knock has been followed by single-digit scores, including a laboured 10 off 11 balls in Sunday’s must-win Super 8 clash against the West Indies. Compounding his batting woes, he also put down two catches in the field.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, former India batter Manoj Tiwary pulled no punches in assessing the youngster’s approach. “When you don’t put a price on your wicket, then you will play loose shots like that,” Tiwary said. “Abhishek has already become a star in such a short time, but if he wants to be a superstar, he has to win games for the team. There is so much competition, so many match winners, so he has to be ahead of them. Today it was a good opportunity for him. He dropped two catches as well. He has to cultivate the mindset where he has to decide which balls to go for and which not.”

Irfan Pathan, the former India all-rounder, zoomed in on a technical glitch that has crept into Abhishek’s game. “After scoring that fifty, it felt like he would continue making runs,” Pathan noted on his YouTube channel. “But when he went for that shot, his back knee was bent too much, and his body weight was falling backwards. Ideally, more weight should have been on the front foot, as that suits him better. He will need to pay attention to that.”

With India’s top order stacked with proven finishers, the management’s patience could hinge on whether Abhishek can translate range-hitting potential into runs under knockout pressure. England’s pace-heavy attack, led by bowlers who have already exposed the left-hander’s tendency to lunge, will scent opportunity in the first-over exchanges.

The semifinal stage has historically separated pretenders from performers; for Abhishek Sharma, Thursday offers both a shot at redemption and a moment of truth.