World No.1-ranked T20I batter Abhishek Sharma is going through a shocking slump, scripting an unwanted record in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The left-handed southpaw’s nightmare continued against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad, where he was dismissed for a three-ball duck. Earlier, he had fallen for 0 (1) against the USA and 0 (4) versus Pakistan, completing a rare and disappointing hat-trick of zeroes — the first Indian batter ever to record three consecutive ducks in a single T20 World Cup edition.
The poor run has also extended into the calendar year. The young opener has now recorded five T20I ducks in 2026, equalling the record for the most ducks by an opener in a single year. He now shares the mark with players such as Saim Ayub (Pakistan), Kushal Bhurtel (Nepal), Chaloemwong Chatphaisan (Thailand), Dharma Kesuma (Indonesia), and Parvez Hossain Emon (Bangladesh) — all part of the unwanted tally of five ducks in a calendar year.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Across his last ten T20 innings, Abhishek’s numbers reflect a dramatic contrast — blistering knocks of 84 against New Zealand, 68* against New Zealand, and 50 against South Africa earlier in the year, followed by multiple failures, including four scoreless outings in his last five matches.
With India preparing for the Super 8 stage, selection discussions have intensified, and wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson remains a strong backup option. However, given Abhishek’s match-winning potential, one big innings could quickly flip the narrative, and it will be interesting to see whether the explosive southpaw returns to dominant headlines.
All done and dusted in Ahmedabad!
India produced a clinical all-round performance to defeat the Netherlands by 17 runs in their final Group A clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, finishing the group stage unbeaten.
The innings was clearly anchored by Shivam Dube, whose stamping 66 off 31 balls completely shifted the momentum after India lost early wickets. His aggressive middle-overs assault ensured the run rate never dipped and gave India the platform for a competitive total. Useful cameos from Suryakumar Yadav (34), Hardik Pandya (30), and Tilak Varma (28) pushed India to 193/6, a total that proved just beyond the Netherlands’ reach.
With the ball, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy once again demonstrated his value, picking up three wickets—including two in successive deliveries—to halt the Dutch chase at a crucial stage. Dube chipped in with two wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah maintained tight control in the death overs, ensuring the target stayed out of reach.
