![[WATCH]: T20 World Cup 2026: Abhishek Sharma reveals massive health update ahead of Pakistan clash](https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/_6qWvVYj_1x0.webp)
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has said that Abhishek Sharma has to give himself some time to come back within runs, adding that consecutive ducks do happen where even an in-form batter goes off
the boil, after the latter couldn’t score any runs against arch-rivals Pakistan in the marquee T20 World Cup clash.
The India-Pakistan clash saw Abhishek return to the playing XI, but the comeback proved short-lived. Up against Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha with the new ball, he struggled to get going and miscued one to Shaheen Shah Afridi at mid-on.
Abhishek had sat out the 93-run victory over Namibia because of a stomach infection, but his struggles with the bat continue. He is yet to open his account in the tournament and had also fallen for a duck against the USA in the group stage, marking the fourth time in his last six innings that he has been dismissed without scoring.
“I think he (Abhishek) is 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 has just got to give himself a little more time until he gets back on track,” Shastri said while speaking on ICC.
“Because for him to convert those dot balls later on into boundaries and sixes, is not difficult,” Shastri added.
Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan was at his free-flowing best, making full use of the Powerplay fielding restrictions. Most of his runs flowed through crisp fours, as he hammered 10 boundaries and three towering sixes during a scintillating innings.
“He (Ishan) is batting like a dream at the moment. Striking on that track (Colombo pitch) at close to 200 is unreal. Every batter did not find it easy, whether it was Indian or Pakistani, because the ball was stopping and for him to strike the way he did and what I liked was how quickly he assessed the conditions,” Shastri said.
