Abhishek Sharma's difficult run with the bat has drawn support from former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. After the left-hander endured a disappointing series against Zimbabwe, Abhishek took to Instagram to reflect on his recent struggles and vowed to make a strong comeback.
"It hurts when you can't give back what so many people believe you're capable of. But this game always rewards those who keep showing up. Happy that the team got the win. Will be back stronger," Abhishek wrote on Instagram following India's series victory.
The post received plenty of encouraging messages, including former India captain Suryakumar Yadav. He reminded Abhishek of his contributions over the past two years and urged him to stay fearless despite his recent struggles.
"You have given so many reasons to smile for 2 years in a row boyyyy. Given glory to INDIA when it mattered the most. Matter of time. Be yourself," Suryakumar commented.
The heartfelt message quickly caught the attention of fans, with many applauding the India captain for publicly backing Abhishek during a difficult phase. The show of support comes at a crucial time for the youngster, who will be aiming to rediscover the form that established him as one of India's most exciting T20 batters.
Abhishek Sharma's struggles continue as competition for India's opening spot intensifies
The Zimbabwe series proved to be a tale of contrasting fortunes for India's opening pair, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi winning the player of the series while Abhishek Sharma struggled for runs. The SRH batter endured a disappointing campaign, managing scores of 1, 8 and 2 in the three-match series.
His struggles extend beyond the Zimbabwe tour. Across India's recent T20I assignments against Ireland, England and Zimbabwe, Abhishek has managed just one half-century. His recent returns have been particularly worrying, with scores of 10, 16, 3, 1, 8 and 2 in his last six T20I innings for India. He has also failed to cross the 20-run mark during this period, including four consecutive single-digit scores.
With Sooryavanshi's rapid rise, Abhishek is likely to feel the pressure. Sanju Samson, despite being India's Player of the Tournament during their T20 World Cup triumph, is still waiting for a place in the playing XI, making competition for the opening spots even more intense.
India's next T20I assignment is at the Asian Games in September, followed by a home series against the West Indies in October. That gives Abhishek more than two months to address his shortcomings. For now, the only way forward is to put his head down, go back to the drawing board and rediscover the form that made him one of India's most exciting T20 batters.
