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Abhishek Sharma T20 World Cup: India has entered the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals riding on a brilliant knock from Sanju Samson, winning a do-or-die clash against West Indies. While the camp seems all smiles at the moment, Abhishek Sharma has raised some alarm bells. The southpaw was a force to reckon with leading up to the tournament, but has been a shell of himself ever since. He has been backed by the management with repeated chances despite failures, but at this stage in the T20 World Cup where every little mistake can be costly, is he cause for major concern?

Abhishek Sharma's T20 WC Struggles

Abhishek Sharma entered the T20 World Cup as the number 1 ranked ICC T20I batsman, and by some margin. Fans and experts expected fireworks from his bat, but what followed was three consecutive ducks. His first runs came in the Super 8s clash against South Africa, wherein he was only able to muster 15 off 12.

While he did fire back with a half century against Zimbabwe, the opener, once again, fell short against West Indies.

The Men in Blue will now be facing England in the semi-finals, who look like formidable opponents. In a fixture of this magnitude, losing a wicket cheaply up-top, as has been the case with Abhishek thus far in the tournament, could put a lot of pressure on the side. 

Although there is enough talent in the tank to take care of any such situation, is that a risk the defending champions should be willing to take?

Why Backing Abhishek Sharma Could Pay Off Big

While Abhishek Sharma does seem out of form at the moment, he is the kind of batsman who can turn things around alone on his day. 

In just 43 innings, he has struck 131 fours and 93 sixes, contributing to a total of 1,377 runs. 

It is worth noting that Abhishek has a ton against England at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, where the India vs England T20 World Cup semi-final will be played in a couple of days from now. 

Therefore, backing him and going ahead with the same combination up-top can potentially be quite fruitful.