How Team India coaches are divided over Abhishek Sharma in T20 World Cup after disastrous start

India’s campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has hit a worrying phase, and at the centre of the debate is young opener Abhishek Sharma. After a disastrous start to the tournament, the Indian coaching staff is divided on how to handle his slump in form and how to make him score runs. However, they have not succeeded thus far in the tournament as Abhishek has just made 15 runs.

Abhishek, known for his fearless stroke play and aggressive intent in the powerplay during the Asia Cup 2025, has struggled badly in this T20 World Cup. Before the match against South Africa, he had registered three ducks in a row against weaker teams. On Sunday night, he finally got off the mark with a boundary, but his stay at the crease was short-lived. He never looked fully in control while at crease.

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Abhishek’s dismissals earlier in the tournament came against off-spinners, exposing a possible weakness. Against South Africa, however, it was the pacers who troubled him the most. They bowled wide lines and slower deliveries, denying him room to free his arms and go for big shots. It showed that opposition teams are studying his game closely and adjusting their plans to stop him from going berserk.

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Indian coaches divided over Abhishek

Inside the Indian camp, there appears to be no clear agreement on what should be done next. Indian coaches look divided over how to handle Abhishek's poor form and bring him back to his best. It was evident during the post-match press conference by assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, and also in batting coach Sitanshu Kotak's latest remarks.

"I think Abhi's preparation coming into the World Cup with the food poisoning that he had at one stage has obviously hampered his progress in terms of where we want him to be at this phase," Ryan ten Doeschate said after the match last night.

"You want him to be up and running and sort of confident in his swing and confident in his game plan and when you score three zeros that is going to start weighing on you. I saw some really good signs on Friday night in the nets, I think I mentioned it in the presser then. But he looks a little bit short and our job as the coaching staff is to pull that right. We've got four days to do that," he added.

On the other hand, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak feels this is not the right time for technical changes or too much advice. According to him, over-coaching at this stage could create more doubts in the player’s mind.

"I think it's not like a struggle. Even today, I felt that he got a start. If you say a lot of things to the batsman at this time, it is more beneficial not to say anything to him. Every player has such a slack period of 2-3 matches. And it is the same time when five people think, 'let's go and tell him something," Kotak said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

"If you ask for my knowledge, I don't think you will be able to tell him in two days and change him. If anything, you will put more doubts in his mind. That is how I think. So, this is my coaching philosophy. If there is time, 15 days, you can do something. Otherwise, it is all about him watching the ball better," he added.

Kotak reminded that Abhishek has faced similar phases in the IPL and bounced back strongly. He said that failure is bound to happen, especially in such high-risk, high-reward situations.

"He will have to plan his innings better, which we discuss - by talking to one or two people, in his comfort. For any player. Not only Abhishek. And he is such a player that you must have seen such phases in his IPL as well. I know that. But in such 2-3 matches, in such high-risk, high-reward situations, that thing is bound to happen. So, we have to be prepared for that," Kotak said.

India suffered a heavy 76-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in their opening Super 8 match of the tournament. Their Net Run Rate (NRR) has also taken a big hit because of the loss and could impact their semi-final chances going forward.