After a run of low scores, Abhishek Sharma rediscovered his form in the match against Zimbabwe at Chepauk in Chennai on Thursday.
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Entering the game under pressure, a change in attitude was visible from the very first ball. Much like Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, Abhishek launched a defensive shot, a sign that the message from the dressing room was clear. Take your time. Choose your moments.
ANOTHER ABHISHEK SHARMA
This theme of restraint has run through India’s batting in this tournament. The scoreboard may suggest they are rattling off at a rate of more than ten runs per over, but there was thought in how they went about it. Abhishek seemed to take this lesson on board, biding his time and resisting the urge to force things early.
Even in the shots he played in the beginning, there was a technical discipline that was not always visible. He was looking to keep his balance, to get a good stretch rather than stretching everything. It was the kind of at-bat that coaches love to see, and it laid the foundation for everything that followed.
When Samson wanted to take advantage of the power play and take over the restrictions on the field, Abhishek took the sensible route, nudging simple singles and settling down. The monkey gradually got off his back. And once he spotted the ball he was about to hit, he didn’t panic.
JUST WATCH THE BALL
The most noticeable shift was in his shot selection. Gone were the premeditated swings. Instead, he tracked the ball, read the length and reacted. It was measured, considered batting, and it paid off.
Zimbabwe did not help its own cause. They missed a trick by not introducing their spinners early, which proved effective against India elsewhere in the tournament. It gave Abhishek the breathing space he needed.
By showing his restraint, he allowed India to dictate the pace in the fearless, commanding manner that has defined the defending champions throughout this tournament.
It wasn’t one of Abhishek’s smooth, free-flowing strokes. He tried to stop a few vans and didn’t connect, but mostly he didn’t lose patience. He kept an eye on the gaps, looked at the work in the field and stayed calm when things didn’t move. There was a maturity to it that didn’t always show.
Chepauk stood up to give him a standing ovation when he reached his fifty, his first in the T20 World Cup. The crowd knew exactly how important it was for India’s number one batsman to spend time in the middle. They chanted his name all evening with an ambitious attempt at a song that didn’t seem to go very well. But the heat was unmistakable.
His innings eventually ended when he failed to time it right against a shorter delivery from Tinotendo Maposa as he smashed 55 off just 30 balls. It wasn’t a perfect knock, but it was important. And it will be fine for Abhishek Sharma when he gets to the business end of the tournament.
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– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
26 Feb 2026 20:17 IST
