All roads will lead to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday as India prepares to face off against New Zealand in the final of the T20 World Cup. Both teams arrive in this game with a clear intention of winning the trophy. While India will look to defend their crown, New Zealand will want to get their hands on their first ICC trophy.
The Black Caps have been unsuccessful in all the finals that they have played, but will want to make it their day against India. They have been firing on all cylinders in the build up to the final and will look to replicate their heroics against the Men in Blue. Meanwhile, India will hope to resolve their issues heading into the final, especially the form of Abhishek Sharma.
Abhishek Sharma is currently the highest ranked T20I batsman across the globe, but his performances at the T20 World Cup so far would suggest otherwise. Sharma has faced a rough patch and has often been labelled as a ‘blind slogger’ by experts and fans. He hasn’t done anything worth remembering despite having a reputation of a world class batter.
Abhishek Sharma’s performances at the 2026 T20 World Cup so far rings a bell. His story is very much similar to that of Virat Kohli’s campaign at the 2024 T20 World Cup. While Sharma holds the first position in the rankings, Kohli arrived at the World Cup after winning the IPL orange cap. However, Virat Kohli managed to play a match winning innings for India on the day of glory.
Abhishek Sharma might have struggled to make his mark against all the teams that India has played in the competition so far, but he loves playing against New Zealand. He has a proven track record against the Kiwis and would love to unleash his potential on a day when India will need it the most. Sharma recorded a 14 ball half century against the Black Caps just a few days before the World Cup and he will definitely want to recreate something similar on Sunday.
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The stage is set for Abhishek Sharma to recreate a match winning innings like Virat Kohli in the final and he will want to make the most out of it. He has received a lot of backing from Gautam Gambhir and his support staff over the course of the tournament and will continue to do well in the final as well. For Sharma to do a Kohli in 2026, he will need to make a few changes to his gameplay and play it more maturely rather than just going all out.
