Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has delivered clear, practical advice to Abhishek Sharma as the young left-hander looks to bounce back from a tough start to his T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. After registering back-to-back ducks, Abhishek’s aggressive approach at the top has come under scrutiny, especially in high-pressure matches.

Speaking to Sports Today, Gavaskar kept his message simple and rooted in batting fundamentals. “My unsolicited advice to Abhishek Sharma, just knock a single first. That’s it. Then you can start banging after that,” he said. The former skipper emphasised the importance of getting off the mark, rotating strike, and allowing confidence to flow naturally before attempting expansive strokes.

Abhishek entered the tournament with strong momentum, including a memorable century against New Zealand in the lead-up to the event. However, illness disrupted his rhythm. The 23-year-old missed India’s game against Namibia due to a stomach bug and returned for the high-voltage clash against Pakistan in Colombo.

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Unfortunately, the comeback didn’t go to plan as he fell for another duck, intensifying conversations around his shot selection and intent. Sunil Gavaskar believes the issue is not talent but temperament in the early phase of an innings.

“It is the confidence that one has in oneself,” he explained, adding that players must avoid taking good form for granted. According to him, once a batter is set and has assessed conditions, that’s when calculated aggression should follow.

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In modern T20 cricket, openers are often expected to attack from ball one. But Gavaskar’s advice reflects old-school wisdom blended with contemporary awareness — build a base, then accelerate. With India already qualified for the Super 8 stage, Abhishek now has valuable breathing space to reset mentally and technically.

For a player of his calibre, a single could be the spark that reignites a promising World Cup journey.