Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has backed Abhishek Sharma to make a big recovery from his tough start to the T20 World Cup, urging the young opener not to lose confidence after two scoreless outings.
Abhishek had another disappointing evening in Sunday’s India-Pakistan clash in Colombo, where his earlier duck in the tournament against the USA fell to a four-ball duck. Taking to his YouTube channel, Harbhajan insisted that the left-hander will bounce back from his slump in form and deliver when it matters most.
IND vs PAK: Complete Score | Highlighting
“Abhishek Sharma is a strong player, he should not be demoralized. He was breaking everyone’s back a few months ago and that time will come again. He should believe in himself. He should learn from these two matches and move on,” Harbhajan said.
“We are all with you, the team is with you, the management is with you, the entire nation is with you. We have full faith in Abhishek. He will be good in this tournament when Team India needs him the most,” he added.
HOW WAS ABHISHEK CONNECTED IN IND vs PAK?
Despite boasting a strong spin attack in their XI, it was Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha who made the early breakthrough with a shrewd tactical move. Salman immediately came into the attack, removing Abhishek Sharma from the first over and dismissing the opener for a four-ball duck.
Abhishek, return to the side after illness, looked like he was raring to go, but ended up mistimed a simple shot straight to the middle. Shaheen Shah Afridi made no mistake with the catch and completed a textbook dismissal that briefly lifted Pakistan and gave them hope of troubling India soon in a high-voltage encounter.
WHAT HAPPENED IN IND VS PAK?
Despite Abhishek’s early dismissal, India quickly took control Ishan Kishan who produced a whopping 77 off 40 balls to take the side to 175. Pakistan’s chase never picked up steam as the Indian bowlers put in a ruthless performance.
Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy led the charge as Pakistan were bowled out for just 114, giving India a crushing 61-run victory. The win extended India’s dominance in the rivalry to an emphatic 8-1 and confirmed their place in the Super 8 stage of the tournament.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 16, 2026