2 minute read
Excuse us looking so far ahead – they’ve each got another match to play before India v Zimbabwe on Thursday – but we’ve been sucked in by the wildly diverging fortunes of Abhishek Sharma and Brian Bennett so far this tournament. We can’t wait to see what happens when they play in the same game. Things cannot carry on like this, you suspect.
For those that don’t know, India’s Abhishek Sharma is currently top of the men’s T20 batting rankings. Coming out at the top of the order, he charges, slices and carves and just generally hits a great many straight and off-side sixes. He tonked 135 off 54 balls against England this time last year.
But so far this tournament, Sharma has made a duck against the USA, a duck against Pakistan and a duck against the Netherlands. In his most effective performance so far, he missed the game against Namibia due to the wild shits. He notched a couple more ducks against New Zealand in the series just before this tournament too.
He also made a duck on his debut, against Zimbabwe in 2024, when he was dismissed by Brian Bennett in the opening over. This was slightly weird because Bennett isn’t a bowler. He has only taken six wickets in 55 T20Is.
Like Sharma, Bennett is chiefly an opening batter. Unlike Sharma, he has had no interest in getting out at this T20 World Cup. So far he has made 48 not out, 64 not out and 63 not out.
It is very weird for an opening batter to finish not out in a T20 game and very, very, very weird to do so three games in a row. Bennett’s scoring rate hasn’t been electric. He doesn’t come across as the most ambitious strokemaker and is yet to hit a six. It is however worth noting that Zimbabwe have won every time.
This could change. The Chevrons – for that is what they are called – play the similarly unbeaten West Indies on Monday, so Bennett may actually be dismissed before he gets the chance to increase the contrast between his own returns and Sharma’s flock. Meanwhile, the India opener will get a fourth opportunity to get off the mark before then, against South Africa on Sunday – bowels permitting.