India opener Abhishek Sharma overcame a rough patch in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a blazing 21-ball 52 in the final against New Zealand. Cautious against off-spin and then getting back to his usual self, Abhishek teamed up with an in-form Sanju Samson to dominate Kiwis in the powerplay overs, taking the game away from them. After India’s 96-run win, the opener revealed that he borrowed teammate Shivam Dube’s bat to score a fifty in the final. Usually, he goes to Shubman Gill with such demands but this time, he chose Dube who helped his struggling teammate.
“Today I batted with Shivam Dube’s bat, so thank you Dube,” Abhishek said. “In the morning I felt like trying something different. Shubman (Gill) was not around, so I walked up to Dube and picked his bat.”
During the knock, even Abhishek’s miscues landed safe. He hit three sixes and six fours in his 21-ball 52. He shared a 98-run opening partnership with Samson. Also, his 18-ball fifty was the fastest in the recently-concluded edition. Building on the start, Samson scored a 46-ball 89 whereas Ishan Kishan scored 25-ball 54. Dube contributed with an unbeaten eight-ball 26 cameo as India posted a daunting total of 255/5.
Abhishek thanks teammates for support in tough times
Abhishek also opened about how the team rallied behind him in tough times. From three consecutive ducks to low scores and a rusty half-century against Zimbabwe, Kishan clawed his way back to form.
"When I was not making runs, everyone in the team was wanting me to get among the runs again," Abhishek said. "In that sense, the company around you matters a lot. When I wasn't able to contribute, everyone was saying 'you'll do it.' I was struggling with self-doubt, but it was the players, coaches and support staff that had belief in me."
Abhishek’s T20 World Cup 2026 numbers
Abhishek ended the tournament as India's seventh-highest run-scorer. From eight innings, he scored 141 runs at an average of 17.62. His strike rate was 158.42. Also, he claimed the wicket of tailender Jacob Duffy as New Zealand were bowled out for 159.