Former Indian cricket team captain Kris Srikkanth has offered valuable advice to Abhishek Sharma after the star batter was dismissed for a duck in India’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands. It was Abhishek’s third consecutive duck, raising concerns among fans and cricket experts about his current form.
During his analysis on YouTube, Srikkanth stressed that Abhishek should avoid attacking from the very first ball and instead take some time to settle at the crease. He clarified that the batter does not need to change his natural attacking style but should focus on playing the ball on merit and getting his eye in before accelerating.
“This dismissal he slogged and got out. When you’ve scored ducks in the first two games, take time for two balls at least. There is nothing wrong in getting your eye in,” Srikkanth said.
The former opener added that repeated ducks indicate a technical or mental issue that the player must assess. He suggested that Abhishek should play straight for the first few deliveries instead of hitting across the line, especially when luck is not on his side.
Srikkanth further pointed out that Abhishek has been playing uncharacteristic shots, indicating a lack of control.
“You play across the line when your mind is not in control,” he remarked.
‘Looked Desperate for Runs’
According to Srikkanth, Abhishek appeared desperate to score runs against the Netherlands, which led to his dismissal. He cited Ishan Kishan as an example of how modern T20 batters take a few deliveries to settle before launching big shots.
“Ishan Kishan takes a few balls to settle down before exploding. That time, Abhishek Sharma has to take,” he said.
The former India captain also delivered a blunt reminder about the realities of professional sport, urging Abhishek to make personal adjustments.
“The world is cruel. People will praise when you are doing brilliantly, but they’ll criticize in a stretch like this,” Srikkanth added.