Abhishek Sharma T20 World Cup: What's Wrong With World No. 1 Batter? Sunil Gavaskar's Blunt Advice: "Very Predictable"

Going into the T20 World Cup 2026, Abhishek Sharma was expected to be the talisman who would be India's destroyer-in-chief. Yet, no runs have come from the world No. 1 T20I batter even as India's group-stage campaign has ended. Three matches and 0 runs calls for serious introspection. With India's next match being a Super 8 clash against South Africa on Sunday, the turnaround time for Abhishek is limited. Batting great Sunil Gavaskar says Abhishek must forget the "weight of expectations" and spend time in the middle before going for the big shots. In the three matches he has played, Abhishek has stayed at the crease for only eight balls combined.

"Maybe the expectations might be weighing just a little too heavily on him. He is a lovely guy. If he had got a flying start in the first game, things might have been different. But now, you can sense that the expectations of being the big guy, the six-hitter, the No. 1 batter in the team, might be weighing heavily on him," Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

"I think with the range of shots he has, he has to give himself a little more time in the middle. Not be looking to open his innings with a boundary or a six. If he gets it, then fine - but looking to play across the line for the big shot, no. Even if there are four dot balls, it does not matter because in the next four to eight balls he can make up for that."

Gavaskar advised Sharma to play "smart cricket" and not live up to any pre-meditated expectation.

"He has to play smart cricket. He has to get the circulation in his legs. He has to get off the mark. If you are playing for India, you have to get off the mark and everything will fall in place. The way he is getting out is very predictable. The mindset is such that, 'I am being seen as somebody who hits at a 200 strike-rate, I have to live up to that.' You don't have to. It's just natural - when you take a couple of singles, you get a sense of the pitch. He will get a big score once he gets set," Gavaskar said.

With his latest dismissal, Sharma has registered five ducks in T20Is in 2026, putting him among the openers with the most ducks in a single calendar year in the shortest format.

The unwanted list includes Pakistan's Saim Ayub, who registered six ducks in 2025.

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