Colombo: Left-arm opener Abhishek Sharma joined the unwanted list of Indian batsmen on Sunday during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 blockbuster against arch-rivals Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium here.
The top-ranked T20I batsman sat out India’s campaign opener against the United States of America (USA) before missing the group-stage match against Namibia due to illness.
Sharma, however, was ducked in four balls and returned to oblivion, a victim to Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha in the very first over.
As a result, he joins an illustrious list of Indian openers who have ducked out against arch-rivals Pakistan in T20 World Cups led by their head coach Gautham Gambhir, who suffered the consequences twice in the 2007 and 2012 editions.
The list also features India’s World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma, who was caught lbw by left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi’s golden duck during the meeting of the arch-rivals in the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup.
India’s openers against Pakistan in T20 World Cup run out
- Gautam Gambhir – Nil (three) in 2007.
- Gautam Gambhir – Nil (two) in 2012.
- Rohit Sharma – Nil (one) in 2021.
- Abhishek Sharma – Nil (four) in 2026.
However, Sharma’s early form did not trouble the defending champions and they eventually amassed a mammoth total of 175/7 in 20 overs, with his opening partner Ishan Kishan scoring a magnificent half-century.
Kishan was India’s top scorer with a 40-ball 77 with 10 fours and 3 sixes.
His efforts were supported by captain Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 32 off 29 balls with 3 fours, while Thilak Verma (25) and Shivam Dubey (27) made significant contributions.