Ahmedabad, February 21 – Skipper Suryakumar Yadav has expressed confidence in opener Abhishek Sharma, who has been struggling in the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup, as India prepares for their first Super 8s clash against South Africa, to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
Speaking ahead of the match against the 2024 T20 World Cup runners-up, Suryakumar emphasized his faith in Abhishek's return and stated that the team management is not concerned about the opener's form. Surya also believes that the top T20I batter will break his slump and perform well as the tournament progresses.
"I worry about those who are worried about Abhishek's form; I worry about them. Why are they so concerned about Abhishek's form? But I think about the teams that will be playing against him, especially since he hasn't scored a run yet," Surya said during the pre-match conference.
"It's a team sport, and it's all about playing to one's strengths. So, he's trying to do that. If it works, great; if not, we'll be there to support him. Last year, he supported us fully; now we'll support him as well," he added.
Abhishek is yet to score in the tournament. He began his campaign with a duck against the United States, followed by early dismissals against Pakistan and the Netherlands. On each occasion, he was dismissed within the first two overs, without scoring a run.
Earlier, India's bowling coach Morne Morkel also backed the 25-year-old star and said that there have been no discussions regarding his place in the side.
"Absolutely no discussion within our team about that. Abhishek is a world-class player. So far in the tournament, fortunately, some players have stepped up while Abhishek hasn't been able to score the runs he would like," Morkel said at the pre-match press conference on Friday.
"But we are entering a very important phase of the World Cup now, and I'm pretty sure he's going to deliver, not just for the team, but also for the viewers watching the game, because he's entertaining, and we love to see that. He's hitting the ball well in the nets; it's just about getting started and building his innings," he added.
Abhishek has featured in eight matches against South Africa, scoring 200 runs against the Proteas, including one half-century against the 2024 World Cup runners-up.
