Overview:
India lost just one match during the tournament, with South Africa thumping the sub-continent team in the Super 8 stage of the event.
Abhishek Sharma had a mixed T20 World Cup 2026, with the opener recording three consecutive ducks and two fifties. After topping the batting charts in the bilateral series and reaching the No.1 rank in T20Is, the southpaw was undone by off-spinners in the global tournament.
His best innings came in the final against New Zealand, and the young batter opened up on his struggles after India secured a 96-run win at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
“Coach and captain had faith in me. Everyone was confident that I would play a match-winning innings in one game. I had started doubting myself and got emotional in between,” Abhishek Sharma said.
The left-handed batter was under pressure with former players like Sunil Gavaskar urging the team management to drop him and include Rinku Singh in the playing XI.
“I never saw this phase, and it wasn’t easy for me. I was doing well, but things didn’t go my way in the World Cup. I am happy that I managed to contribute in the final,” he added.
Meanwhile, India lost just one match during the tournament, with South Africa thumping the sub-continent team in the Super 8 stage of the event.
India became the first team to defend the title and clinch the trophy for the third time.