![\"Ravi](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shastri_abhishek_1771683407817_1771683421829.jpg\" "\\"Ravi")
Ravi Shastri feels Abhishek Sharma’s off form is a warning sign for other teams. (PTI)<\/p>\nIndia can afford to keep faith in Abhishek Sharma because the tournament hasn\u2019t punished them for it yet. Three ducks in three appearances is a brutal headline for any opener. However, India still walked into the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup 2026 unbeaten, which is exactly why the conversation has shifted from survival to timing.<\/p>\n
Ravi Shastri feels Abhishek Sharma’s off form is a warning sign for other teams. (PTI)<\/p>\n
The timing is where Ravi Shastri has planted his flag. Speaking on the ICC Review, Shastri argued India shouldn\u2019t treat Abhishek\u2019s run of zeros as a crisis, but as a warning sign for everyone else – because a quiet powerplay weapon can turn into the loudest problem once the knockouts begin.<\/p>\n
\u201cI look at it as a positive that Abhishek Sharma has got three zeroes. So, save your best for the important periods in the tournament. Teams will be a little worried that he\u2019s not got runs,\u201d Shastri said.<\/p>\n
It is a deliberately counterintuitive framing, but it fits Abhishek\u2019s role in this India side. He isn\u2019t picked to compile; he\u2019s picked to break the first six overs. When a batter with that mandate fails three times, the instinct is to overcorrect – tweak his method, push him into safety mode, or even tinker with the XI. Shastri\u2019s message is the opposite: don\u2019t blink first because the upside is still tournament-shaping.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the positive is that in every game, there has been someone who stood up. It has been Ishan Kishan, sometimes Suryakumar Yadav<\/a>, in the first game. Tilak Varma has played his part. He\u2019s got off to starts but I still think the best of him is still to come,\u201d said Ravi Shastri.<\/p>\n That supporting cast matters because it protects Abhishek from becoming a selection debate every other day. If your middle order is constantly rescuing you, you start chasing stability. If the rest are already delivering, you can keep the opener\u2019s brief intact – even if it looks ugly on the scorecard.<\/p>\n Also Read: Abhishek Sharma refuses to get bullied by outside noise after 3 ducks: \u2018I will not change by process and mindset\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Why Shastri thinks India won\u2019t tinker with Abhishek<\/p>\n Shastri also pulled the conversation toward balance, not batting alone – especially with dew becoming a factor as the tournament moves deeper. That is where India\u2019s composition becomes the bigger story than one player\u2019s early numbers: they want depth with enough bowling options to stay flexible.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen there\u2019s dew around, you need that extra bowling option. Whether it\u2019s a Shivam Dube, whether it\u2019s a Hardik Pandya<\/a> bowling his full quota of overs, whether it\u2019s Tilak Varma who might roll his arm for an over or two, you need those options. I don\u2019t think they\u2019ll tinker with the side. I think the team that played in the last game was a good side,\u201d Shastri added.<\/p>\n In other words: India don\u2019t need Abhishek to justify his place with cautious 25s. They need him to remain a threat – the kind that forces opponents to plan for chaos even when his tournament runs column reads zero. And with India opening Super 8s against South Africa, Shastri\u2019s broader point lands: this is no longer group-stage comfort cricket.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have got depth in batting. India have got depth in batting. I think this is a cracking contest. This is two of the strongest teams, one would say, playing in this tournament\u2026,\u201d Shastri further added.<\/p>\n