The sequence has placed Abhishek alongside Ashish Nehra for the most ducks by an Indian in T20 World Cup history, highlighting a rare slump for one of India\u2019s most explosive batters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAbhishek Sharma is a lovely guy, but expectations seem to be weighing on him. If he had started well against the USA, it would have been different. Now, the pressure of being the big six-hitter and top batter is showing. With his shot range, he needs to spend time in the middle. He cannot try to hit a boundary or six on the first ball of his innings. If the big shots come, fine. But he shouldn\u2019t force himself to play the big shots across the line,\u201d Gavaskar said on Star Sports.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sharma\u2019s struggles began with a golden duck against the United States, followed by another early dismissal against Pakistan and then the Netherlands. In each instance, he fell within the first over, attempting aggressive strokes before settling in. Gavaskar emphasised the importance of getting off the mark and allowing his natural strokeplay to flow later in the innings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cTake a single and get off the mark. Even four dot balls don\u2019t matter. He can make up for them later. He needs to play smart. Spend an hour or two settling in, then play his natural game. First, just get off the mark. Every batter wants that first run. Once he gets it, everything will fall into place,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite the lean patch, India\u2019s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate expressed confidence in Sharma\u2019s ability to bounce back, pointing to encouraging signs in training after his recovery from illness that ruled him out of the match against Namibia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cTake a single and get off the mark. Even four dot balls don\u2019t matter. He can make up for them later. He needs to play smart. Spend an hour or two settling in, then play his natural game. First, just get off the mark. Every batter wants that first run. Once he gets it, everything will fall into place,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With India advancing to the Super 8s, the team management will be hoping Sharma can quickly rediscover his rhythm and play a key role in the decisive stage of the tournament.<\/p>\r\n\r\n