Abhishek Sharma Makes Special Effort To Spoil New Zealand's Party In T20 World Cup Final

Abhishek Sharma (Source:X)

The wait is finally over as India prepare to face New Zealand in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday, March 8. The much-anticipated match will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

While Team India has had a strong campaign overall, one of the biggest concerns for the team management ahead of the final has been the poor form of opener Abhishek Sharma. The left-handed batter has struggled with the bat throughout the tournament, and his form has become a major talking point ahead of the crucial clash.

Despite the criticism and pressure, Abhishek Sharma has been putting in extra effort during practice sessions to regain his form before the all-important final.

Abhishek Sharma trains hard before T20 World Cup Final

Ahead of the final against New Zealand, Abhishek Sharma was seen working hard during India's training session in Ahmedabad. One of the biggest weaknesses exposed during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 has been his difficulty against off-spin bowling.

To address this issue, Abhishek spent a significant amount of time facing local off-spinners in the nets. The idea was to help him improve his technique and regain confidence against spin bowling before the final.

Also Read: Abhishek Sharma Gives Arshdeep Singh’s Weakness Cues To New Zealand Before T20 World Cup Final

Interestingly, teammate Tilak Varma also helped him during the practice session by bowling off-spin deliveries. The young opener batted for nearly 30 minutes in the nets and was closely observed by India’s coaching staff.

Watch the video here:

𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵

@rushiii_12

During today’s practice session, Suryakumar Yadav was closely watching the batting of Abhishek Sharma. Are Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir thinking about dropping him from tomorrow’s final? 🤔

Mar 7, 2026, 11:26 PM

Abhishek Sharma receives special support

During the training session in Ahmedabad, Abhishek Sharma also had the support of his father and coach, who were present at the ground to encourage him.

According to reports from The Times of India, his father was seen speaking to him several times during the practice session. He also watched his son bat in the nets and reportedly said that it had been a long time since he had seen him practising so closely.

During the session, Abhishek trained under the watchful eyes of India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. After finishing his batting practice, the opener also had a long conversation with Gambhir. 

Will India drop Abhishek Sharma for the final?

Abhishek entered the tournament with high expectations, especially since he is currently ranked as the number one batter in T20Is. However, his campaign has been far from impressive.

In seven matches so far, Abhishek has managed to score only 89 runs at an average of 12.71. He has registered just one half-century, which came against Zimbabwe. Apart from that innings, he has struggled badly and even recorded three consecutive ducks earlier in the tournament.

Despite the criticism, Team India is likely to keep faith in Abhishek for the final against New Zealand. The team management has generally avoided changing a winning combination and may continue with the same playing XI.

Interestingly, when the tournament began, Abhishek was expected to be the key player at the top of the order, while questions were raised about Sanju Samson’s place in the team. However, the tournament has seen a reversal of fortunes, with Sanju Samson delivering more consistent performances.

As India prepare for the historic final, Abhishek Sharma now has one final opportunity to silence his critics. 

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