'Gambhir told me...': Abhishek Sharma on T20 WC rough patch
What's the story
Indian cricketer Abhishek Sharma has opened up on the tough advice he received from senior players and head coach Gautam Gambhir during his lean patch in the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The left-handed batter, known for his explosive starts, struggled to score runs in the tournament. He scored three consecutive ducks before finding form with a fluent 55 against Zimbabwe. He also smashed a blistering half-century in the final against New Zealand.
Guidance
Abhishek reveals advice from senior players
Speaking at the India Today Conclave, Abhishek recalled how head coach Gambhir, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav advised him to stay away from social media. "Slowly, you get used to it. But it does feel bad (when there is criticism). That is going to happen in India because people have a lot of expectations from you," he said. The advice was given after he scored consecutive ducks.
Reaction
Abhishek took the advice seriously
Abhishek took the advice seriously after scoring consecutive ducks, and it actually helped him a bit. He also acknowledged that he was getting a lot of suggestions and comments from people, which is part and parcel of being a cricketer. "You have to listen, and you will be criticized. All you can do is listen and ignore," said Abhishek.
Triumph
World Cup final heroics
Abhishek, who struggled in the tournament, scored a 21-ball 52 in the final against New Zealand at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. With his blistering knock, Abhishek recorded the joint second-fastest half-century (18 balls) for India in T20 World Cup history, with KL Rahul. Notably, the batter started his campaign with three back-to-back ducks. His other fifty in the competition came against Zimbabwe.