Overview:
While he doesn't want Sharma to change his approach, he believes that with his talent, playing a few dot balls won't hurt, as he can still make up for it.
Abhishek Sharma’s form has been below par, which has impacted India’s performance in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. In Sunday’s must-win game against the West Indies, he dropped a few catches and couldn’t provide the necessary spark with the bat. Nevertheless, India came out on top, largely due to Sanju Samson’s exceptional innings. This has led to speculation about his future in the playing XI, with many wondering if it’s time for India to make a change.
“He’s already a star in such a short time, but to become a superstar, he needs to start winning games for the team. With so much competition and so many match-winners, he needs to stay ahead. It’s not that the coach and team management are unhappy with him or planning to drop him for the next match. He has been given that freedom,” Manoj Tiwary said on Cricbuzz.
Manoj Tiwary highlighted that Abhishek Sharma’s loose shots stem from not valuing his wicket. He noted that the match against the West Indies was a missed opportunity, with Sharma also dropping two catches. Tiwary advised Sharma to be more selective with his shots and respect the opposition bowlers. While he doesn’t want Sharma to change his approach, he believes that with his talent, playing a few dot balls won’t hurt, as he can still make up for it.
“When you don’t value your wicket, you tend to play careless shots. It was a good opportunity for him, but it turned out to be an off day against the West Indies. He also dropped two catches. He needs to develop the mindset of knowing which balls to attack and which to leave. He should show more respect to the opposition bowlers. No one is asking him to change his approach, but with his talent, even if he faces 3-4 dot balls, he can make up for it,” he added.