Suryakumar Yadav backs Abhishek Sharma amid T20 World Cup ducks
3 min readUpdated: Feb 21, 2026 05:07 PM IST
With Abhishek Sharma coming into the Super 8s stages not in the best of forms, having scored 3 ducks in three matches he has played, there have been concerns about the Punjab batter heading into a high voltage clash against South Africa on Sunday. Captain Suryakumar Yadav, however, dismissed the talks about the 25-year-old’s form, saying the whole team is ready to cover for Abhishek’s performances.
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“Those who worry about Abhishek Sharma’s form, I worry about them. Last year, Abhishek covered for us, and this tournament we will cover for Abhishek: Skipper Surya said on Saturday in the pre-match press conference.
Abhishek opened the tournament with a golden duck against the USA in Mumbai before being ruled out of the second game in Delhi with an upset stomach. Last week, he returned for the high-stakes clash against Pakistan and fell for a four-ball duck to Salman Agha’s part-time off-spin in the first over. The script turned horrendous in Ahmedabad on Wednesday when the left-hander’s leg-stump was uprooted by Netherlands spinner Aryan Dutt in the first over.
Two of Abhishek’s ducks have come against the off-spinner in the first over. Agha’s ball skidded onto him, Dutt’s ball was back of length, quicker through the air and turning into him with the angle from wide off the crease.
The world’s No. 1 batter now bears the dubious record of being one of only three men ever to bag three successive ducks in the T20 World Cup.
The in-form Abhishek, who had entered the World Cup as the top-ranked batter in the format, was affected with a stomach bug even before the tournament opener in Mumbai. He played the match against the United States of America at the Wankhede Stadium despite being unwell.
Abhishek was subsequently unavailable for selection during India’s second match against Namibia in Delhi earlier this week. Battling an upset stomach and viral fever, the 25-year-old was also admitted in a hospital in the capital.
