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Colombo (Sri Lanka) | February 16, 2026: Former India head coach and ex-cricketer Ravi Shastri has backed Indian opener Abhishek Sharma amid his poor form in the T20 World Cup 2026. Shastri said the left-hander needs to “give himself a little more time” after another batting failure in the high-voltage India vs Pakistan clash in Colombo.
Abhishek Sharma got out for a four-ball duck against Pakistan. It marked his second consecutive duck in the ongoing tournament.
Abhishek Sharma Yet to Score in T20 World Cup 2026
The lean patch has raised concerns, especially because Abhishek Sharma is currently the No. 1 ranked T20I batter in the world.
So far, he has not scored a single run in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The duck against Pakistan was also his third duck in his last five T20I innings.
Notably, Abhishek’s last T20I half-century came six innings ago, when he scored an unbeaten 68 against New Zealand in Guwahati.
Shastri Says Lean Phases Are Normal
Speaking to Sanjana Ganesan, Shastri said such phases happen in cricket. He expressed confidence that Abhishek will bounce back soon.
“I think he’s due, but he just has to give himself a little bit of time. Such things happen, and you can go off the boil, but he’s just got to give himself a little more time until he gets back on track,” Shastri said, as quoted by the ICC website.
He added that once Abhishek settles, converting dot balls into boundaries will not be difficult for him.
Shastri Praises Ishan Kishan After Match-Winning 77
Ravi Shastri also praised Ishan Kishan, who played a match-winning knock of 77 off 40 balls. The innings helped India secure a dominant 61-run win over Pakistan.
Ishan Kishan won the Player of the Match award. The knock was also his second successive half-century in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Shastri called Kishan’s strike rate exceptional, especially on the slow Colombo pitch.
“He’s batting like a dream at the moment. Striking on that track at close to 200 is unreal,” Shastri said.
India Beat Pakistan by 61 Runs in Colombo
Pakistan won the toss and chose to field first. India posted 175/7 despite early setbacks.
After Abhishek Sharma’s duck, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma steadied the innings. India slipped to 126/4, losing set batters and all-rounder Hardik Pandya for a duck.
Later, skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh finished strongly to take India to a competitive total.
India Bowlers Crush Pakistan for 114
Pakistan collapsed in the chase and got bowled out for 114 in 18 overs.
Early wickets from Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Axar Patel reduced Pakistan to 34/4. Usman Khan top-scored with 44 off 34 balls, but the rest of the batting lineup failed.
Axar Patel was the standout bowler with 2/29, while Hardik, Bumrah, and Varun Chakaravarthy also picked two wickets each.
India Qualify for Super 8, Lead Head-to-Head 8-1
With three wins in three matches, India remain on top of Group A. The team also qualified for the Super 8 stage.
India now lead Pakistan in the T20 World Cup head-to-head record by 8-1.
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