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Gautam Gambhir (L) and Abhishek Sharma (R) (Source: AFP)
The swashbuckling Indian opener Abhishek Sharma has been enduring a dismal run of form in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. The young Southpaw has been one of the centres of discussion among cricket experts after three successive ducks his first three innings in the tournament.
In his fourth appearance in the tournament, Abhishek could score just 15 runs off 12 balls in India’s first Super-8 game against South Africa, in which the Men in Blue faced a huge 76-run defeat, registering their first defeat after 13 consecutive wins in T20 World Cup matches.
Meanwhile, the debate around Abhishek Sharma’s batting form has been ignited again as his string of poor outings continued in the Super-8 round.
Even more shocking, Abhishek’s poor form has also left India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, and assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, divided.
A rift in Gautam Gambhir-led coaching staff on Abhishek Sharma?
Notably, both the crucial members of the Indian team’s coaching staff, Kotak and Ten Doeschate, came up with different opinions and outlooks on management’s possible approach to work on Abhishek Sharma’s current struggle with the form.
“I think Abhi's preparation coming into the World Cup with the food poisoning that he had at one stage has obviously hampered his progress in terms of where we want him to be at this phase,” said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate while speaking to the press after India’s Super-8 clash against South Africa.
“You want him to be up and running and sort of confident in his swing and confident in his game plan and when you score three zeros that is going to start weighing on you. I saw some really good signs on Friday night in the nets.”
“I think I mentioned it in the presser then. But he looks a little bit short and our job as the coaching staff is to pull that right. We've got four days to do that,” he added later.
Also Read: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Summoned To Drag Abhishek Sharma Out Of His Slump
“I don't think you will be able to tell him” - Sitanshu Kotak cancels out Ten Doeschate’s coaching outlook.
Apart from Ten Doeschate’s remarks, what Sitanshu Kotak said completely contradicted his colleague's stance about how management can work with Abhishek Sharma to get rid of the lean patch with the bat.
“I think it's not like a struggle. Even today, I felt that he got a start. If you say a lot of things to the batsman at this time, it is more beneficial to not say anything to him. Every player has such a slack period of 2-3 matches. And it is the same time when five people think, 'let's go and tell him something,” Sitanshu Kotak was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
“If you ask for my knowledge, I don't think you will be able to tell him in two days and change him. If anything, you will put more doubts in his mind. That is how I think. So, this is my coaching philosophy. If there is time, 15 days, you can do something. Otherwise, it is all about him watching the ball better,” he added later.
Kotak backs Abhishek Sharma amidst ‘form’ struggle
Furthermore, Kotak also backed Abhishek and felt that what’s happening with the Indian opener is bound to happen in high-risk, high-reward situations.
“For any player. Not only Abhishek. And he is such a player that you must have seen such phases in his IPL as well. I know that. But in such 2-3 matches, in such high-risk, high-reward situations, that thing is bound to happen. So, we have to be prepared for that,” he said.
Now, India will be there in their next Super-8 game against Zimbabwe, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, February 26. In this must-win game for India, it will be interesting to see the management’s strategy for restructuring their tactics, especially amid Abhishek Sharma’s slump and the top order’s struggles.
