All about Abhishek Sharma’s Lonely Network in Ahmedabad
With India already through to the next stage – where they will face South Africa (February 22, Ahmedabad), Zimbabwe (February 26, Chennai) and the West Indies (March 1, Kolkata), it may be more of a challenge to stay mentally sharp for what is effectively a meaningless draw.Meanwhile, Abhishek is the center of attention. The explosive left-hander arrived at his first T20 World Cup with considerable hype after 18 months of destructive opening batting, but endured a barren run – dismissed for ducks in both the matches he played. In fact, the 25-year-old Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman has four ducks in his last six innings. He also missed the Namibia match in Delhi due to illness.India’s strong start from Ishan Kishan – the team’s top scorer with 158 runs at a strike rate of 197.50 – masked Abhishek’s lean patch. But against stronger opponents in the Super 8, India would want their left-handed aggressor firing on all cylinders. Maybe a slight recalibration is needed. Yet it’s also the kind of game where Abhishek’s high-risk, high-reward approach can flourish. Against Pakistan, he fell to Salman Ali Agha off the fourth ball; against USA, lost the first ball to Ali Khan.11 – India have won back-to-back T20 World Cup matches between 5 June 2024 and 15 February 2026. The last 8 wins have come in defending totals.
43.42 – Suryakumar Yadav averages aggregating 608 runs in 20 innings at a strike rate of 154.7, the highest by any batsman in the T20 World Cup. In the all-time list, his average is the third highest behind Virat Kohli (58.72) and Kevin Pietersen (44.61).
—Statistics: Rajesh Kumar
The Dutch clash is an ideal chance for him to regain his rhythm. India’s middle order will also look to fine-tune their anti-spin approach on relief-offering surfaces. Another point could be the combination of teams. With three Super 8 matches in nine days, India may consider keeping Jasprit Bumrah in charge. If so, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh could share the new duties.On the slower tracks, India opted for Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist ahead of Arshdeep in Colombo. Whether they stay with Kuldeep remains to be seen. The Netherlands got off to a flying start to the tournament, pushing Pakistan to the brink and beating Namibia by seven wickets. But the 93-run thrashing of USA in Chennai dented their momentum. The Dutch will need a significant boost to take on a balanced and balanced Indian side.In their T20 World Cup opener, South Africa posted 213 for four against Canada – India’s highest score so far in the tournament. If India’s host of missile makers gets going, they could be cracked.