Published: Mar 15, 2026, 03:52 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 15, 2026, 03:52 PM (IST)
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir speaks about how he supported star opener Abhishek Sharma when he had a slow and difficult start during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Gambhir said Abhishek to stay fearless, trust his natural attacking game, and not worry about what critics or scoreboards were saying.
Gambhir shared a personal story from his own career to help Abhishek understand that bad patches happen to everyone.
“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 explained that it’s unfair to judge a batter too early based on just a few balls or innings.
“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.”
The coach encouraged Abhishek to back his instincts completely, no matter what the outside world thinks.
“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.”
Gambhir made it clear that the entire team had complete trust in every player picked for the tournament.
“There was no doubt whatsoever about Abhishek. For anyone, to be honest, in that dressing room, we always had faith and trust in everyone who was selected to represent the country in the T20 World Cup.“
After a rough group stage where he scored three consecutive ducks, Abhishek bounced back in style. He finished the tournament with 141 runs, includinig two half-centuries.
Abhishek biggest moment came in the final against New Zealand, where he smashed the fastest fifty of the 2026 edition off just 18 balls, helping India post a big total and eventually win the title.
