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Abhishek Sharma Scored Another Duck: Abhishek Sharma’s poor run in the World Cup continues as he made an unwanted record as an Indian opener. After scoring another duck in a high-octane clash against Pakistan, Abhishek Sharma has become the first Indian batter to score two back-to-back ducks as an Indian opener. For the second time in his debut 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, the explosive left-hander walked back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers.
The Masterstroke by Salman Ali Agha
The drama took place at the R. Premadasa Stadium on February 15th. Here, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha was smart enough to pull off a tactical masterstroke as he chose to bowl his own off-spin in the very first over. The gamble did work well and paid off with clinical precision.
Sharma, who is known for his fearless approach, looked tentative against the drifting spin. On his fourth ball of the match, the pressure finally told. Abhishek miscued a ball that hung in the humid Colombo air. Shaheen Shah Afridi made no mistake, and he safely pouched the catch on the sixth ball.
An Unwanted Piece of History
Abhishek Sharma reached this T20 World Cup with a lot of expectations, but due to back-to-back ducks, he soon became the first Indian batter to record consecutive ducks in his first two innings of a T20 World Cup.
- Match 1 (vs USA): Out for 0 (1 ball)
- Match 2 (vs Pakistan): Out for 0 (4 balls)
Between these two outings, Sharma suffered a severe stomach infection that saw him hospitalized. This forced him to miss the match against Namibia.
The Road Ahead
Abhishek Sharma is known for his fearless approach, but after the back-to-back duck, it will be interesting to see what the world’s No. 1 ranked T20I batter’s approach will be.
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