Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: Abhishek Sharma endured a tough start to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, registering three ducks in a row – a phase that left him in a poor state of mind. Looking back, he admitted that he reached out to his childhood friend Shubman Gill during this difficult period. The two shared a candid exchange at the BCCI Naman Awards.Gill was asked if he had given any advice to Abhishek before the tournament. Smiling, he replied, “World’s best T20I batsman ko kaun radi dega” (Who will give advice to the world’s No. 1 T20I batsman?), laughing while supporting his teammate.
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Shashi Tharoor & Samson’s Redemption Story: From Failure to Fame But Abhishek quickly turned the narrative around and started his lean run before anyone else could.“Maine hi message kiya tha isko 3 duck ke baad ke mujhe bat de de, isse pehle koi aur record bann jae” (I was the one who messaged him after three ducks and told him to give me his bat or there would be some other unwanted record), Abhishek said, laughing at his own struggles.“Usne bola tha, tu kar lega” (He told me you can do it).When asked whose bat he liked the most, Abhishek didn’t hesitate.“Shubman ka hi” (Shubman, of course), he said.Gill, in turn, added another layer to their camaraderie with a playful remark, “Woh mere bat se hi khelta hai hamesha” (He still plays with my bat anyway).
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Abhishek bounced back in style, scoring a blistering 52 off just 21 balls in the T20 World Cup final to give India a solid start with a 98-run opening stand alongside Sanju Samson.India crushed New Zealand by 96 runs to clinch the title – their third T20 World Cup triumph after victories in 2007 and 2024.
