Indian Skipper Suryakumar Yadav Admits Being “Worried” About People Doubting Abhishek Sharma Following 3 Consecutive Ducks

Despite his heroics against the USA, Suryakumar Yadav also faced criticism for slow scoring against the Netherlands and arch-rivals Pakistan.

Indian Skipper Suryakumar Yadav Admits Being “Worried” About People Doubting Abhishek Sharma Following 3 Consecutive Ducks

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav backed Abhishek Sharma, despite poor form. (via India Today)

In Short
  • Suryakumar Yadav expressed confidence in Abhishek Sharma despite his recent poor form, stating he is worried about critics doubting the opener.
  • Sharma has recorded three consecutive ducks in the 2026 T20 World Cup, raising concerns about his performance.
  • Yadav emphasized that the team is not considering changes to the playing XI, supporting Sharma and highlighting his past contributions.

Team India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav dismissed concerns regarding Abhishek Sharma‘s poor form, stating he is troubled by critics who have been questioning the opener. Yadav expressed confidence that Sharma would be a crucial player throughout the rest of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Abhishek Sharma has been through a rough patch lately, recording three consecutive ducks in India’s group-stage matches at the 2026 T20 World Cup. Despite being ranked the no.1 T20I batter in the world, the left-hander has looked susceptible. He also had to sit out of the match against Namibia after being hospitalized with a stomach infection, before returning for the headliner against Pakistan in Colombo. 

While his return was met with optimism, Abhishek Sharma was however, dismissed for a duck by Salman Ali Agha. It was expected that the 25-year-old would open his account against the Netherlands, but he was removed by Aryan Dutt for a similar no-show.

The numbers look grim, with Sharma now having recorded five ducks in his last eight T20I innings, the most by an Indian in a calendar year. While analysts have suggested that the young opener change his approach, captain Suryakumar Yadav felt otherwise. 

At a press conference, Yadav stated that he is instead ‘worried’ about those who are concerned about the 25-year-old, while predicting Sharma to be even more ‘hungry’ against the opponents that India will face next. The 35-year-old agreed with bowling coach Morne Morkel’s remarks that the management is not discussing Sharma’s performances, while reiterating that he still remains a world-class player. 

I am worried about the people who are worrying about Abhishek Sharma… I think about those teams who are going to play against him.

Yadav shared the reasoning behind the left-hander’s poor run of form, noting that such things often happen in team sports. He added that the remaining batters are there to cover up for the young opener. Yadav also reminded critics of the fact that it was Sharma’s runs that carried the team for a year, referencing the opener’s remarkable 2025 stats, when he scored 859 runs in 21 T20Is at an average of 42, and a strike-rate of 193.46. 

It happens, it’s a team sport, it keeps going on. Now the team has a requirement that the boy [Abhishek Sharma] should play with his identity. So he is trying to play. If it happens, then it’s fine; if it doesn’t, then we are there to cover. Last year he covered for us, now we will cover for him.

When asked about whether the Indian team might be contemplating bringing in Sanju Samson into the playing XI, Yadav refused to provide a clear-cut response. He instead suggested that the team management has been preparing to tackle spin well.

Will Sanju Samson replace Tilak Varma in the playing XI? Captain Suryakumar Yadav responds

There is an outside possibility that India might alter its playing XI for the Super Eight, given its recent batting struggles. Captain Suryakumar Yadav was recently questioned about whether Sanju Samson could make his way back into the side for the upcoming South Africa clash.

Suryakumar Yadav on Sanju Samson-Tilak Varma
Suryakumar Yadav clarified whether Sanju Samson would replace Tilak Varma in the playing XI. (via X)

Samson engaged in a lengthy batting session on the eve of India’s first Super Eight match. The Kerala batter lost his place in the side after a string of low scores in the T20I series against New Zealand. He only made an appearance in the group-stage clash against Namibia, replacing Abhishek Sharma, who was ill. Samson scored a brisk 22 off eight balls, hitting three sixes and a four, before being dismissed.

He is rumored to take Tilak Varma’s place in the XI, given the 23-year-old has only scored 106 runs at a strike-rate of just 120.45. However, Suryakumar Yadav clarified that the team is not contemplating a change, noting that Varma has been batting as he has been asked to. Yadav explained the left-hander’s role as an anchor while highlighting the challenging surfaces that the team has played on.

I have told him [Tilak Varma] that he has to bat that way. If one wicket is down, then he is definitely, he can go and have his own game in the powerplay. But as soon as two wickets are down, then he has to take a little bit of backseat.

On Sanju Samson’s inclusion, Yadav suggested that a spin-friendly batting unit would be finalized before the match. The 31-year-old could be destructive against the Proteas, against whom he has scored 253 runs in five T20Is at an average of 63.25. 

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