India head coach Gautam Gambhir stood firmly behind Abhishek Sharma during a difficult start to the 2026 T20 World Cup. The young opener repaid that trust with a crucial knock in the final against New Zealand.
Abhishek began the tournament with three ducks in the group stage. Despite the poor run, the Indian team management chose not to drop him and continued to back his aggressive style.
Gambhir spoke to the left-hander during that phase and reminded him that early failures were not the end of the road. He urged Abhishek to remain fearless and stick to his natural attacking approach.
“I’ve had a worse experience than him in 2014 during the IPL, when I got three ducks in a row and then another in the fourth game as well. All I told him was that people will look at your scores and will talk about your form, but actually, you are not out of form; you are just out of runs,” Gambhir was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
The coach explained that a batter’s form cannot be judged without spending time in the middle. In Abhishek’s case, most of his dismissals came before he could settle.
“The only time you can judge your form is when you have played 20 to 30 balls in the middle, and he hasn’t even faced 20 balls yet. All I wanted him to do was go out there in the next game and be even more aggressive compared to what he was in the previous game,” Gambhir stated.
Gambhir also advised Abhishek to ignore outside criticism. According to him, the only opinions that matter are those inside the dressing room.
“If you want to hit the first ball out of the ground, go and do it, and commit yourself to it 100 per cent because it really doesn’t matter what the world thinks about you. All that matters is what those 30 people in the dressing room think about you,” he concluded.
That support paid off at the right time. Abhishek found his rhythm later in the tournament and delivered an important innings in the final against New Zealand.
His contribution helped India defend the T20 World Cup title, turning a difficult personal start into a memorable finish.
The episode also showed India’s belief in attacking intent. Even after repeated low scores, the team chose trust over panic, and it worked when it mattered the most.