Should India drop Abhishek Sharma if they Reach T20 World Cup Final as Star Batter Fails Again?

Abhishek Sharma has continued his miserable form in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 as he failed to make any impact in the semifinal against England.

On Thursday (March 5), India were put into bat by England and Sharma gifted his wicket away early, as his downfall was to another off-spinner.

After hitting Will Jacks for a couple of boundaries, Abhishek mistimed a shot and was held at deep mid-wicket for just 9 runs.

Abhishek Sharma T20 World Cup 2026 Stats

Abhishek Sharma has had a tournament to forget so far, as he has only managed 89 runs across seven innings, with an average of around 12.

Abhishek Sharma has been a key part of India's setup as an explosive left-handed opener, and despite a patchy tournament so far, the team has backed him consistently through the group stage and Super 8s. His recent form shows signs of recovery-he scored a composed 55 off 30 balls against Zimbabwe, which helped India post a big total and regain momentum.

Before that, he had a rough patch with three ducks in the group stage (against USA, Pakistan, and Netherlands) followed by low scores like 15 vs South Africa and 10 vs West Indies, and now 9 vs England.

Should India drop Abhishek Sharma if they reach Final?

If India win today against England, they will be up against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2026 final. And for that match, the Abhishek Sharma conundrum will be massive.

His overall T20I record remains elite, and he's ranked No. 1 in some formats recently. One big knock in the final could win it, and backing proven match-winners in knockouts often pays off more than reactive changes. Abhishek also scored two blistering fifties against the Kiwis in the series prior to the World Cup, one of which was a blistering 84 off just 35 balls.

But the form so far in the tournament raises concern, as team management would be tempted to bring in someone like Rinku Singh as a finisher.