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India head coach Gautam Gambhir opened up on supporting young opener Abhishek Sharma despite his slow start in the tournament. Gambhir said the team management wanted the youngster to stay fearless and focus on his natural game rather than worry about what people were saying about his scores.
Gambhir shared an example from his own career
Gambhir shared an example from his own career to explain the situation. He remembered a difficult phase during the Indian Premier League in 2014 when he struggled badly with the bat.
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“I had a tougher time than him back in 2014 in the IPL,” Gambhir said. “I got out for three ducks in a row and then another duck in the fourth game. I told him that people will always look at the scorecard and talk about your form. But sometimes you are not really out of form, you are just not getting runs” said Gautam Gambhir on Jiostar.
Gambhir on Abhishek Sharma's critics
He also explained that it is unfair to judge a batter too early. According to Gambhir, a player’s form can only be judged after spending enough time at the crease.
“The only real way to judge your form is when you have faced around 20 to 30 balls in the middle,” he said. “Abhishek hasn’t even faced 20 balls yet. So I told him that in the next match he should go out and be even more aggressive than before.”
Gambhir's advice to Abhishek Sharma
Gambhir encouraged the young batter to stick to his attacking mindset and not be influenced by outside pressure.
“If you feel like hitting the first ball for a six, just go for it and commit to it fully,” he added. “What people outside think doesn’t really matter. The only opinions that matter are those of the people in the dressing room.”
The former India opener also made it clear that the team has full faith in every player selected for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
“There was never any doubt about Abhishek,” Gambhir said. “To be honest, everyone in that dressing room trusts the players who have been chosen to represent the country in the T20 World Cup.”
Abhishek Sharma's T20 World Cup 2026 performance
Destructive opener Abhishek finished the 2026 T20 World Cup 2026 amassing 141 runs, including two half-centuries. He played a decisive role in India's title-winning campaign after a tournament-long struggle with form. After smashing three consecutive ducks in the group stage, he made a comeback in the final, smashing the fastest fifty of the 2026 edition (18 balls) in the final against New Zealand.
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