Abhishek Sharma thrown under the bus!! India coach blames him, then hides behind ‘stomach issue’
Published - 23 Feb 2026, 11:19 AM | Updated - 23 Feb 2026, 11:34 PM
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South Africa crushed India by 76 runs in the Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (February 22). This crushing defeat exposed serious cracks in the Indian batting lineup, which consists of World No.1 batter Abhishek Sharma.
South Africa dominate India in T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash
After winning the toss, South Africa decided to bat first and posted a strong total of 187/7 on the board, thanks to David Miller’s quick fifty against India. Dewald Brevis (45) and Tristan Stubbs (44*) have also made valuable contributions to the total at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Chasing the target, the defending champions looked clueless as they lost three wickets for just 26 runs inside the powerplay. The pressure kept building, and the collapse looked ugly. Shivam Dube was the top scorer with 42 runs, as only four other batters could cross the 10-run mark.
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Eventually, the Men in Blue folded for just 111 in 18.5 overs. After registering three ducks, Abhishek Sharma finally scored some runs in the tournament, but it was far from enough. He made 15 off 12 balls. He hit two fours and one six, but he also struggled with timing.
Top order collapse destroys India’s chase
Abhishek Sharma missed many deliveries, and eventually, he mistimed a slower ball from Marco Jansen and walked back disappointed. After the heavy loss, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate admitted that the top order is not firing.
The coach also mentioned Abhishek Sharma’s stomach problem earlier in the tournament as a reason for his slow start. The illness had disturbed the left-handed batter’s preparation, and since then, he has looked short of confidence. His poor run clearly affected his mindset.
And Ten Doeschate said that the coaching staff now faces a big task to rebuild Abhishek’s confidence before it gets too late. It was not just Abhishek Sharma. Tilak Varma also failed to make an impact at the top, as he could face only two balls for a single run against South Africa.
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They don't need excuses made for them: Ryan ten Doeschate on Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma
Ryan ten Doeschate said at the post-match presentation, "It is a concern. You've got four quality players there who haven't delivered so far. I certainly won't make excuses for Abhishek Sharma or Tilak Varma. They don't need excuses made for them, but I think Abhi's preparation coming into the World Cup, with the food poisoning that he had at one stage, has obviously hampered his progress in terms of where we want him to be at this phase.”
He added, “You want him to be up and running and sort of confident in his swing and confident in his game plan. And, you know, when you score three zeroes, that is going to start weighing on you. He (Abhishek Sharma) looks a little bit short, and, you know, our job as the coaching staff is to put that right.”
Rinku Singh falls for a duck!! Coach defends his tough role
Meanwhile, Rinku Singh fell for zero while trying to attack Keshav Maharaj. His role at number seven has become tougher with India often losing early wickets, and the coach refused to blame him. He also reminded everyone that Rinku has not yet got his best chances.
He signed off by saying, “I think that the number seven and eight positions have become incredibly tough in T20 cricket. Rinku comes in in a pretty hopeless situation again tonight. He's opted to go for the boundary and try to get us as close as we can. And on a wicket that holds a little bit, that can happen. So, he hasn't had the best opportunities.”
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Abhishek Sharma Tilak Varma Rinku Singh Ryan ten Doeschate India vs South Africa India National Cricket Team ICC T20 World CupAbout the Author
Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ...