The high-stakes India vs. Pakistan encounter at the R. Premadasa Stadium on February 15 has etched an unwanted milestone in the career of Abhishek Sharma. The young southpaw, who entered the T20 World Cup 2026 with massive expectations, fell for a 4-ball duck against the arch-rivals, marking his second consecutive failure to open his account in the tournament.
A Rare and “Shameful” Milestone
With this dismissal, Abhishek has joined a very short and unfortunate list of cricketers who failed to score a single run in their first two T20 World Cup appearances. He is now the second Indian and only the third player globally to achieve this dubious distinction.
The Indian Connection: He joins former veteran pacer Ashish Nehra, who was previously the only Indian to go runless in his first two T20 World Cup matches.
The Global List: Alongside Nehra, Bangladesh’s Imrul Kayes is the only other international batter to have shared this fate.
The “Zero” Streak: Abhishek’s T20 World Cup journey began with a golden duck against the USA. After missing the Namibia fixture due to a stomach infection, his return against Pakistan resulted in another scoreless outing, lasting just 4 deliveries.
A Dramatic Form Slump: 4 Ducks in 6 Innings
The pressure is mounting on World No. 1 T20I batter, as his overall recent form reveals a worrying “boom-or-bust” pattern. Despite a blistering 68* recently, the left-hander has now recorded four ducks in his last six T20I innings.
On a Colombo surface that demanded caution, Abhishek’s inability to navigate the initial overs has left the Indian middle order exposed. While the team management has historically backed his aggressive intent, the statistical anomaly of zero runs across two World Cup games is becoming a major talking point in the Indian camp.
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