T20 World Cup 2026: 'Abhishek Sharma not technically sound, only slogs the ball' - Former Pakistan cricketer

Mohammad Amir suggested a simple plan which could help Pakistan dismiss Abhishek Sharma in their upcoming T20 World Cup fixture against India at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15.

The former Pakistan speedster called the in-form Indian opener a slogger, adding that his ultra-aggressive approach means his chances of failing are very high. Amir, who won the 2017 Champions Trophy with Pakistan, suggested that the Pakistan team should keep a deep cover in place and bowl into his body to cramp him for room. He also mentioned that bowling slower deliveries against the Indian opener could be a fruitful ploy.

“Abhishek Sharma is a slogger. He wants to hit every ball. If he connects, he connects — otherwise, the chances of failure are high. He bats in eight innings and scores in just one. In the rest, he gets 10, 15, 20, 0. He just stands and slogs. He is not a technically sound batter. That is my honest opinion,” Amir said while speaking on a Pakistani TV show.

“Abhishek plays high-risk cricket. Keep a deep cover and bowl into his body to trap him. The other thing is slower deliveries,” he added.

While Amir might not be impressed by Abhishek's batting style, his numbers in T20I cricket are exemplary. Having made his T20I debut in mid-2024, Abhishek has played 39 T20Is, amassing 1297 runs at a commendable average of 36.03. However, the highlight has been his mind-boggling strike rate of 194.46. The 25-year-old has already notched up eight half-centuries and two tons.

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Abhishek played in India's first match in the ongoing T20 World Cup against the USA. However, he was dismissed for a golden duck. The southpaw was subsequently admitted to a hospital due to a stomach bug. He was discharged ahead of India's clash against Namibia on Thursday, February 12, but the Indian team management decided to give him a bit more time to regain full fitness. He is expected to be back in the side for the highly-anticipated clash against Pakistan.