Abhishek Sharma Echoes Kohli’s Rocky Start: Can India Script Another T20 World Cup Triumph in 2026 ?

Aggressive by nature and known for taking on bowlers in the powerplay, Abhishek Sharma has endured a forgettable beginning to the 2026 campaign.

• Duck off the first ball against USA

• Four-ball stay without scoring against Pakistan

• Three balls faced for zero against the Netherlands

In total, Sharma has faced eight deliveries across three innings without troubling the scorers. For a player expected to provide explosive starts, the lean patch has raised concerns among fans and analysts alike.

Echoes of Virat Kohli’s 2024 Struggles

Interestingly, the current situation mirrors what happened to Virat Kohli during the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Back then, Kohli had an underwhelming start:

• 1 run off 5 balls against Ireland

• 5 runs off 3 balls against Pakistan

• Golden duck against USA

Despite the early setbacks, Kohli turned his campaign around in spectacular fashion. He went on to score 151 runs in eight matches, including a crucial 76 in the final that powered India to the title.

Can History Repeat Itself?

The parallels have sparked hope among supporters. If Kohli could overcome early failures to script a championship-winning comeback, can Sharma do the same?

T20 cricket is famously unpredictable. Momentum can shift within a few overs, and one impactful innings can completely redefine a player’s tournament. Sharma’s natural attacking instinct means he is always just a few shots away from rediscovering form.

Pressure and Possibility

With India eyeing back-to-back T20 World Cup titles, the spotlight is firmly on the young opener. His ability to break free from the current slump could prove decisive in the knockout stages.

For now, the cricketing world waits. As past tournaments have shown, early failures do not define champions — resilience does.

India’s campaign continues, and so does the belief that a turnaround might just be around the corner.