Mumbai, March 4 It all started with an upset stomach, which derailed the juggernaut that Abhishek Sharma had been running when this edition of the T20 World Cup got underway.
Having finished as the second-highest run-scorer in 2025 among top nations, Abhishek was expected to dominate the tournament, but the law of averages seemed to be catching up with the world No. 1 T20 batter when he returned to the dugout with three ducks in as many matches.
Regardless of his impressive start to international cricket, and the pedigree he possesses, the past few weeks have shown that the game of cricket is full of uncertainties, and even the best in the business can look ordinary on the biggest stage.
While he thrived in dominating bowlers from all over the world to rapidly rise to the top of the world rankings in the fickle format of T20Is, Abhishek has been forced to put his aggressive approach on the back burner, and most importantly, "give himself some time in the middle."
Now, he not only refrains from going after the bowlers from the first ball, but also chooses to defend a few – something that surprised the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.
Not long ago, India captain Suryakumar Yadav was struggling with doing all that he could in the nets, but hard work behind the scenes did not translate into on-field success.
By his own admission, taking time off the game benefited him, and when he did return, giving himself time in the middle resulted in Suryakumar banishing the poor 2025 in style.
Abhishek seems to be following the same path, as he has started to not go all-out from the first ball, but he doesn't miss out on capitalizing on any opportunity to score.
But as he navigates the puzzle of what should be the best approach, it is no exaggeration to say that one of the country's brightest young stars is caught up in the situation that several other Indian players have been in before. It is, of course, the situation where all the attention is focused on him, but the going gets as tough as it can get.
So, is it the case that Abhishek is losing his confidence, as he has also dropped a few catches recently?
"No, I think sometimes this game can be tough on you, cruel on you. It's a similar situation that Sanju (Samson) found himself in; in your career, you're going to find moments like this," India's bowling coach Morne Morkel, who addressed the media on the eve of the semifinal, replied to a
"This is a good opportunity for growth; it's a good learning experience for him. For a young guy finding his feet in international cricket, this will only help him in Indian cricket in the long run," he added.
The South African was confident that in the case of Abhishek, it is always a matter of one or two innings to find his rhythm.
"Coming back to his form, Abhishek, with his way of playing, it's (about) one or two shots that can help him find his rhythm, that can give him that confidence back, and that is a pleasing sign for me," Morkel said.
"He's not a guy that worries too much about technique. Normally, those sort of players take a lot more time to get into confidence," he added.
India and England have met twice in the semifinal stage, and both teams have won a game each. In fact, the winner of these contests has eventually gone on to win the T20 World Cup as well.
It was exactly a year ago when Abhishek had announced his arrival at the Wankhede Stadium here in T20 Internationals, hammering an English attack, which had some of those bowlers he would face in the semifinal, for 13 sixes and seven fours in a 54-ball 135.
"It's a fresh page for him tomorrow (on Thursday), an opportunity to go and do well. He had scored a hundred here against England not too long ago," Morkel recalled.
"So, for him, it's just about tapping into those little videos and looking at his feel-good moments and building a blueprint and knowing that he's starting from zero tomorrow. It's a new opportunity for him," he added.
