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India opener Abhishek Sharma recently spoke about what he learned from the T20 World Cup 2026 and how he dealt with a difficult phase during the tournament. In an interview with Hindustan Times, he shared that Suryakumar Yadav, Gautam Gambhir and his mentor Yuvraj Singh supported him when things were not going in his favour during the marquee event.
Abhishek went into the tournament in great form. He had scored a lot of runs before the World Cup and was even ranked as the No.1 T20I batter. Many expected him to perform well, but things didn’t go as planned. He fell ill at the start of the tournament and missed India’s group-stage match against Namibia. When he returned, he struggled and got out for three ducks in a row.
He admitted that this phase really tested him mentally.
"Playing a World Cup teaches you quickly how important mental strength and process are," Abhishek said in the interview.
"The biggest learning for me was staying balanced, not getting too high after a good innings and not too low after failures," he added.
How SKY, Gambhir and mentor Yuvraj supported him?
Abhishek also spoke about the support he received from the team. He said that head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav backed him and encouraged him to stick to his natural game. He also stayed in touch with Yuvraj Singh, who guided him during this tough period.
"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.
Abhishek Sharma's lession from T20 World Cup 2026
In the end, Abhishek said he wants to take these lessons forward and improve as a player. With more white-ball tournaments coming up, he hopes to play an important role for India.
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"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 now be seen in IPL 2026, where Sunrisers Hyderabad start their campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. If regular captain Pat Cummins is not available at the start, Abhishek could even lead the team.
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