Abhishek Sharma scored his first runs of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in the IND vs SA clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Sharma had scored three consecutive ducks in the tournament before getting his first runs on the board. The left-hander crashed a cut short to the boundary in the first over of the game.
Unlike previous game, Abhishek opted against taking strike offering it to Ishan Kishan. Kishan was dismissed for a duck this time around, adding more pressure on the left-hander. Facing his first ball of Aiden Markram, Sharma cut him past point to pick up a boundary.
Abhishek has had a tumultuous T20 World Cup campaign so far. The left-hander was dismissed for a first ball duck against USA, a game he played with illness. Sharma was subsequently admitted to a hospital and missed the game against Namibia in Delhi.
Despite the recovery, he succumbed to Salman Agha against Pakistan and Aryan Dutt against Netherlands, again without scoring any runs. Heading into the IND vs SA game, Abhishek had 5 ducks in his last 7 innings, making it a major cause of concern for the Indian team.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav backed Abhishek for the Super 8 matches and the left-hander will hope to make it count after getting off the mark.
"Abhishek Sharma ki form ki jo chinta kar rahe hai, unki chinta mai kar raha hu. (I am worried for those who are worried about Abhishek Sharma's form). He covered for us all year, now it's our turn," Suryakumar Yadav had said in his press conference.
