Indian cricket team star batter Abhishek Sharma did not have the best of starts to the T20 World Cup 2026. The youngster was struggling massively after a hat-trick of ducks in the group stage. However, he slowly regained his form and slammed a brilliant half-century in the final to guide his team to victory over New Zealand. During the tough period when Abhishek was struggling to score runs, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir stepped in to support the opener. During his appearance at the India Today Conclave, Abhishek revealed the advice that he received from Gambhir and Suryakumar before admitting that he was close to an ’emotional breakdown’ after registering his second consecutive duck.

“Slowly you get used to it. But it does feel bad (when there is criticism). That is going to happen in India because people have a lot of expectations from you. After I scored three ducks, Surya, GG sir and Hardik Pandya came to me and said, ‘Phone pakad, social media hata abhi ke abhi [take your phone and uninstall social media right now]’,” Abhishek said.

“That was the first thing I did after my second zero. That actually helped me a bit. I was getting a lot of suggestions and comments from people. That’s how a cricketer’s life is. You have to listen and you will be criticised. All you can do is listen and ignore. That is because they have a lot of expectations from you. Sometimes you deliver and sometimes you don’t. I expected this,” the left-handed batter added.

Earlier, Sanju Samson praised his opening partner Abhishek Sharma, describing their partnership as effortless and balanced. He highlighted their combination as “fire and fire”, with both taking turns leading the attack.

Samson noted the natural Kerala-Punjabi friendship that underpins their understanding. Samson admired Sharma’s bravery and composure, saying he enjoys both their on-field and off-field camaraderie.

“We are not ice and fire, we are fire and fire. Sometimes he fires, sometimes I do. We have that kind of combination going. We have done this since 2024; we have a Kerala-Punjabi friendship in the middle. Everything comes pretty naturally to us, so we do not complicate it. He asks me, ‘How is the ball coming?’ I tell him that the ball is coming normally, and hit it for a six. It is really simple with him. Abhishek is very brave and collected. I love his character. I really love the partnership with him on and off the field,” Sanju Samson said at the India Today Conclave.

(With ANI inputs)