Abhishek Sharma at No.2: India’s worst performers at T20 World Cup 2026

India created history by winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and becoming a three-time champion. The Men in Blue became the first team to win and defend the T20 World Cup at home after defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

While the third T20 World Cup title triumph brought joy to fans, the tournament also exposed the struggles of some big Indian players who failed to perform consistently and faced heavy criticism, like Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy.

3. Varun Chakravarthy

India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy finished the tournament with 14 wickets and ended as the joint-highest wicket-taker. However, his performance had two very different phases.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Read Also: Sanju Samson set to receive special honour from Kerala government after T20 World Cup 2026 heroics

In the early matches against smaller teams and Pakistan, Varun looked almost unplayable and picked up wickets regularly at an amazing strike rate of 5.17. But things changed in the Super 8 and knockout games, as the mystery spinner started leaking runs at an economy of 11.63 while taking only 4 wickets.

His spell against England in the semifinal was especially costly, where he conceded 64 runs in four overs, which is one of the most expensive spells in T20 World Cup history.

2. Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma entered the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 as the world’s No. 1-ranked T20I batter. Expectations were very high, but his campaign started in the worst possible way. The young Indian opener failed to score even a single run in the first round and recorded ducks against the USA, Pakistan, and the Netherlands. He had missed one game due to illness.

It was the first time in T20 World Cup history that a batter began his campaign with three consecutive ducks. The rival teams quickly noticed the left-handed batter’s weakness against spin bowling and used off-spinners early to trouble him.

Read Also: Mohammad Amir breaks silence after Abhishek Sharma slaps him in the face with T20 WC final heroics

Because of his repeated failures, India’s batting line-up faced huge pressure. Even Abhishek remained under huge pressure, and many experts even questioned his place in the playing XI. However, Abhishek finally delivered in the final against New Zealand.

He played fearless cricket and smashed a rapid half-century in just 18 balls, which became one of the fastest fifties in a T20 World Cup knockout match. His explosive knock silenced his critics and helped India put up a huge total and eventually lift the cup.

1. Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav achieved a big milestone by becoming only the third Indian captain to win the T20 World Cup. However, the Indian captain’s batting form left many disappointed. Apart from a brilliant 84-run knock against the USA in the group stage, Suryakumar struggled to score runs.

The stylish batter’s performances in the Super 8 stage and knockout games were far below expectations. In the semifinal against England and the final against New Zealand, he was dismissed cheaply, which put extra pressure on the middle order.

Suryakumar amassed 242 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 at an average of 30.25 and a strike rate of 171 in the tournament. Despite winning the title, the skipper faced massive backlash for not delivering big knocks.