India captain Suryakumar Yadav has thrown his weight behind opener Abhishek Sharma, despite the explosive batter enduring a torrid start to the ongoing Men's T20 World Cup. Abhishek’s campaign so far has been incredibly disappointing. In three group-stage outings, he has been dismissed for a duck each time. He failed to open his account against the USA, Pakistan and the Netherlands.
"I am worried for those who are worried about Abhishek Sharma's form. ‘Why are you worrying so much about Abhishek's form?’. But I think about those teams against whom he (Abhishek) is going to play. Because he hasn’t scored yet," Yadav said at the press conference on Saturday.
"It happens; it’s a team sport. Now it's the team’s requirement that he plays according to his style. He is trying to do that. Now, if it happens, it's good. If it doesn’t, we are there to cover for him. Last year alone, he covered for us. This time, we will do it."
Meanwhile, India’s dominant all-round performances in the group stage have ensured that Abhishek’s struggles have not hurt the team’s results. The middle order and bowling unit have stepped up collectively, making up for the opener’s lack of contribution. Notably, India are set to begin their Super Eights campaign against South Africa on Sunday in Ahmedabad.