India opening batsman Abhishek Sharma’s poor performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has raised many doubts about whether he will feature in the final against New Zealand. Abhishek, the young left-handed batsman, has been facing difficulties throughout the tournament, which has made the selection of the opening batsman the main point of discussion before the big clash. However, Abhishek’s teammate, wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson, has come out in support of the struggling opening batsman.

In the semi-final against England at the Wankhede Stadium, Abhishek was dismissed for just nine runs off seven balls. This dismissal of Abhishek added more pressure to the opening batsman, as he has been unable to perform consistently throughout the tournament. So far, the opening batsman has managed to score 89 runs in seven games at an average of 12.71.

Despite all of this, Samson believes that there is total support from the Indian dressing room for Abhishek Sharma. Samson also pointed out that every player has ups and downs in their career, and it is only a matter of time before they can put together a couple of good innings again in T20s, as all players do at some point in their respective careers.

See also: Watch: Mohammad Amir slams Abhishek Sharma's "One-Dimensional" batting at T20 World Cup 2026

India reach T20 World Cup 2026 final after thrilling win

Following an incredible seven-run victory over England, India qualified for the T20 World Cup final, set for 2026. India scored a huge 253/7 runs in the men's T20 World Cup semi-final match against England, which is also the men's T20 World Cup's all-time high score by India. Sanju Samson scored 89 runs to lead the charge and was backed by two other batsmen, Ishan Kishan and Shivam Dube.

England struggled hard in the chase, with Jacob Bethell scoring an incredible 105 off 48 balls, along with 35 runs contributed by Will Jacks. However, the bowlers from the Indian team remained calm in the last overs. Jasprit Bumrah bowled an excellent spell at the death, while Axar’s sharp fielding helped the team gain momentum. Now, the final clash is between India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium on the 8th of March, with all eyes on Abhishek Sharma to see if he can bounce back.