India’s campaign at the T20 World Cup so far has been incredibly fruitful with three wins on the bounce. But, for talented batter Abhishek Sharma, the journey so far has been quite disappointing, as he has struggled to play substantial knocks. Abhishek Sharma has endured a quieter tournament, with consistency eluding him. On the other hand, Ishan Kishan has been brimming with confidence and timing, providing India with explosive starts in the powerplay.
Meanwhile, despite Abhishek's bleak form, there is no sense of panic inside the Indian camp. Ahead of the final group clash against the Netherlands, Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak reminded everyone of the substantial contributions the youngster made in the lead-up to the World Cup.
"The one thing we definitely don't unnecessarily do is over-analyse. Because sometimes you start making more assumptions than the opposition do. He is someone who has got his plans sorted; he follows the way he wants to, and obviously we discuss the oppositions, their bowling, their strengths, what they've been doing – all that is normal for everyone, not just for Abhishek," Sitanshu Kotak said at the press conference.
Earlier, in the tournament, Abhishek missed India's match against Namibia due to illness. But upon his return he struggled to adjust himself in the matches against USA and Pakistan, getting out for ducks on both occasions. However, Kotak pointed to the runs Abhishek piled up in the matches ahead of the World Cup.
"Before he fell ill, he made runs. In the T20 format also, sometimes a 10-ball 30 is as important. It's not like he hasn't scored runs," Kotak added.
Kotak also lauded young star Ishan Kishan, who has been in red-hot form since making his return to the side a few months ago.
"Ishan, we all know how capable he is. He has always performed whenever he has played for India. And I think once he came back also, whatever I have spoken to him, he has always been a very confident player because I have known him since 2019; he was with the India A team, but before that, in 2016-17, he was in an IPL team where I worked. I think that is his strength; it's his nature. He is not someone who cares too much about things. So, a T20 game needs that. He is very talented because if you see his innings played everywhere in the ground. So, he is someone who is very difficult to restrict," Kotak said.