Abhishek Sharma finds himself back in the spotlight after another failure with the bat, this time against West Indies in a virtual knockout at Eden Gardens. With India chasing a stiff 197, the left-hander managed only 10, and his early exit immediately put the innings on the back foot. It has been a stop-start campaign for Abhishek. A stomach infection disrupted his preparation and forced him out of the Namibia game, and he has struggled to find rhythm since returning. In his first four outings of the T20 World Cup, he scraped together just 15 runs, including three ducks, numbers that underline his ongoing battle for consistency on the big stage.
There was a brief spark when he struck a fluent 55 off 30 balls in the commanding win over Zimbabwe, hinting at a turnaround. But the promise faded quickly, as another low score in a high-pressure clash reopened questions about his place and reliability at the top.
Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has weighed in on Abhishek’s turbulent World Cup campaign, offering a candid assessment of the youngster’s rapid rise and the expectations that now follow him. He further stressed that early stardom alone is not enough at the highest level, insisting that consistency and match-winning impact are what separate promising talents from genuine superstars.
“He (Abhishek) has already become a star in such a short time, but if he wants to be a superstar, he has to win games for the team. There is so much competition, so many match winners, so he has to be ahead of them,” Tiwary said while speaking on Cricbuzz.
“It isn’t as if the coach and the team management are unhappy with him and will bench him for the next game. He (Abhishek) has been given that freedom. When you don’t put a price on your wicket, then you will play loose shots like that,” Tiwary said.
“Was an off day for Abhishek Sharma”
Continuing his candid take, Tiwary said the West Indies game was a big opportunity for Abhishek, but it turned into an off day. He also flagged the dropped catches and stressed the need for smarter shot selection under pressure.
“Today, it was a good opportunity for him. Today was an off day for him. He (Abhishek) dropped two catches as well. He has to cultivate the mindset where he has to decide which balls to go for and which not,” the former batter added.
