Abhishek Sharma had a topsy-turvy campaign with the bat in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The top-ranked batter in T20I cricket registered three consecutive ducks to start the campaign. Even after getting off the mark in his fourth game, the southpaw didn’t look convincing. He did score a half-century against Zimbabwe but failed in the next two matches. However, he turned up on the night of the final and scored a blistering 18-ball half-century.
While reflecting on his experience of playing in his first World Cup at the senior level, Abhishek said that he learned the importance of mental strength and staying balanced during highs and lows.
“Playing a World Cup teaches you quickly how important mental strength and process are,” Abhishek told Hindustan Times.
“The biggest learning for me was staying balanced, not getting too high after a good innings and not too low after failures,” he added.
Abhishek also appreciated captain Suryakumar Yadav and his mentor Yuvraj Singh for their continuous backing and support during his lean phase.
“Surya bhai was amazing throughout. Even after the ducks, his message was very clear: ‘Play your natural game and don’t worry about the result.’ That kind of backing from your captain makes a huge difference. When a leader shows that much trust, it allows you to go out there and express yourself without fear,” Abhishek said.
“I spoke to Yuvi paaji regularly. He’s always been someone I can go to for honest advice. His message was simple: ‘Don’t change who you are as a player.’ He told me that aggressive players will have phases like this, but if you keep backing your strengths, runs will come,” he added.
Experiences like this make you stronger as a player: Abhishek
Abhishek, who has been named Sunrisers Hyderabad’s vice-captain for the first few games, hopes that his experience during the T20 World Cup would help him grow as a player.
“Experiences like this make you stronger as a player. When you go through highs and lows in such a big tournament, you learn a lot about yourself. Hopefully, it will make me more resilient and mature in how I approach the game. My goal is to take these lessons forward and keep growing as a cricketer,” he said.
Abhishek will represent Sunrisers Hyderabad in the upcoming IPL 2026. With Pat Cummins missing the first few games, Ishan Kishan will step in to lead the side and Abhishek will be his deputy. The Orange Army will be in action on the opening day of the tournament as they face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28.
