Virat Kohli-less India are chokers: Ahmed Shehzad's brutal attack on Abhishek Sharma & Co.

Former Pakistani batter Ahmed Shehzad dared to call out World Cup favourites India as the chokers in the second innings coming into this World Cup 2026 and reasoned this on the lack of players like Virat Kohli who could take the chasing responsibility on their shoulders.

India came into the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 not only as the defending champions from the last edition of the World Cup but also as one of the most successful sides in the shortest format of the game. Under Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy, the young and revamped Indian team had been invincible in the format.

However, what was the epitome of India's success, their strong batting unit, has seemingly struggled in this World Cup. Placed in the easiest of groups alongside the USA, Namibia, the Netherlands and rivals Pakistan, Indian batters could not produce runs at their flawless best.

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Pakistan players' brutal attack on a Virat Kohli-less Indian side

India have stepped up for a World Cup for the first time without their two veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and the pressure could already be felt. Virat Kohli, the master of run chases, is being missed the most, as India crumbles under scoreboard pressure.

Pakistani former cricketers Mohammad Amir and Ahmed Shehzad have pointed out some major cracks within the Indian unit. Shahzad pointed out that, "It was never going to be easy to fill the shoes of Virat Kohli, and that has been the case with India."

"Chasing runs is never an easy thing to do; however, nature had almost transcended the ability of run-chases to Virat Kohli. In Virat Kohli's presence, he never let anyone else feel the pressure as he single-handedly took the game away; that is why he was called the King," he continued.

"This team, without him, does not know how to take things during chases. Such teams that often have players on their explosive spree tend to perform in the first half, but often fail when they have to bat with the scoreboard pressure.

"They choke under this kind of pressure. Moreover, they play with a pack full of all-rounders, and hence, dismissal against bowlers like Markram puts them under even more pressure," Shehzad concluded.

Ahmed Shehzad said, "Virat Kohli was the only player in indian team who knew how to play and when to play, that's why he was the best. This current Gambhir-led team? They crumble under pressure, have zero game awareness, and are total chokers."pic.twitter.com/dnwEfGGe3f

— Salman. (@TsMeSalman) February 24, 2026

Are Indian players really choking under scoreboard pressure?

The Indian top-order has struggled in this edition of the cup, except for Ishan Kishan, who was placed at the top just ahead of the World Cup. Kishan has been carrying the load single-handedly, as he did against the likes of Pakistan and Namibia.

However, whenever he has failed to get going, India have struggled in the powerplay. This is due to the sudden poor form of explosive left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma and the most tactically sound batter in the Indian lineup, Tilak Varma.

Tilak's finesse seems to have been taken away by the pre-World Cup injury, as he has failed to get his innings going after having made steady starts. Until the South Africa game, India still managed to crawl their way out with Surya stepping in against the USA, Kishan against Pakistan, Hardik Pandya against Namibia and Shivam Dube against the Netherlands.

However, they are not seemingly the same unit for whom 300 looked gettable at one stage. Moreover, the way Indian batters were all caught up in their attempt to go big against South Africa made it clear that they are having issues with big totals set in front of them. However, this is the same side that chased 200+ totals with ease just a few weeks ago on these same tracks against New Zealand.

Abhishek Sharma got his first World Cup runs after three group-stage ducks

The left-handed Indian batter was crowned as the No. 1 ICC T20I batter within the very first year of his debut in international T20 cricket. This was not due to him just scoring runs, but also, he earned a reputation as an explosive beast within the powerplay.

Abhishek was the sole reason for India's early domination in a game under all scenarios, and he seemed to be India's most lethal weapon coming into the home World Cup. However, the Sunrisers Hyderabad batter took four innings to get to his first World Cup runs.

Sharma ended up scoring three consecutive ducks in the three group-stage games he played before his 15 against South Africa in the last game. He averages 3.75 in four games in the World Cup.

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