“Hit the first ball out of the ground, doesn't matter what the world thinks”: Gambhir reveals advice to Abhishek

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has revealed how he backed young opener Abhishek Sharma during a difficult phase in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, urging the youngster to stay fearless and trust his natural attacking style.

India went on to script history by defeating New Zealand national cricket team in the final to win the tournament and become the first team to lift the T20 World Cup three times.

Gambhir’s message to Abhishek during tough phase

Speaking on JioStar’s Follow the Blues, Gambhir recalled the conversation he had with Abhishek Sharma after the opener struggled to get going early in the tournament.




Gautam Gambhir backed Abhishek, saying the player is not out of form but simply "out of runs", while urging him to play with more aggression and ignore outside criticism.

"I've had a worse experience than him in 2014 during the IPL, when I got three ducks in a row and then another in the fourth game as well. All I told him was that people will look at your scores and will talk about your form, but actually, you are not out of form; you are just out of runs. The only time you can judge your form is when you have played 20 to 30 balls in the middle, and he hasn't even faced 20 balls yet. All I wanted him to do was go out there in the next game and be even more aggressive compared to what he was in the previous game," Gambhir said.

The head coach also encouraged the World No.1 T20I batter to play fearlessly and stay committed to his natural attacking approach.

"If you want to hit the first ball out of the ground, go and do it, and commit yourself to it 100 per cent because it really doesn't matter what the world thinks about you. All that matters is what those 30 people in the dressing room think about you, and that is exactly what should matter to all the boys," he added.

Expressing confidence in the team, Gambhir said the dressing room always had full faith in every player selected to represent the country in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

"There was no doubt whatsoever about Abhishek. For anyone, to be honest, in that dressing room, we always had faith and trust in everyone who was selected to represent the country in the T20 World Cup," Gambhir said.

Team India made history by securing a record-breaking third T20 World Cup title and becoming the first-ever team to defend the title and win it as a home nation following a brilliant 96-run win over New Zealand at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

Abhishek Sharma’s performance before and after the World Cup

Before the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Abhishek Sharma was regarded as one of the most explosive batters in international T20 cricket. In the matches leading up to the tournament, he had scored 1377 runs in 43 innings, averaging 37.05 with an extraordinary strike rate of 194.74, hitting 131 fours and 93 sixes. His aggressive batting at the top of the order made him a key player for India, and he entered the World Cup as the No.1 ranked T20I batter. However, his form dipped significantly during the tournament. In the 2026 T20 World Cup, Abhishek managed only 89 runs in 7 matches at an average of 12.71 and a strike rate of 130.88. His campaign began poorly with three consecutive ducks against USA, Pakistan, and Netherlands, though he later scored 55 off 30 balls against Zimbabwe, which remained his best knock of the tournament. Despite his struggles with the bat, India continued to back him for his attacking intent and match-changing potential, and the team eventually went on to win the tournament.


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