'Nobody Looks to Drop...' – India bowling coach backs Abhishek Sharma ahead of T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal vs ENG

India’s young opening batsman Abhishek Sharma is yet to make a strong impact in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Abhishek, who is a left-handed batsman, had entered the tournament with huge expectations following his good show before the event. But he has not been able to replicate that with the bat. His errors in the field have also come in for criticism. 

In the recent Super 8 match against the West Indies at the venue in Kolkata, Abhishek dropped two catches. The opposition used this to build a strong total of over 180 runs. Despite this, the India team management is standing by the young batsman. The coaching staff believes that errors in the field come with the game.

Ahead of the semi-final match against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, bowling coach Morne Morkel addressed the issue during a press conference. He explained that players never drop catches intentionally. The team continues to work hard on improving its fielding standards. According to him, mindset and responsibility also play a major role in such situations.

India Continue Working on Fielding Issues

Speaking at the press conference, Morkel said, “Nobody looks to drop a catch on purpose. It isn’t that we don’t train; we put a lot of focus on it. At times its a mindset thing, I cannot answer that. For us, it is about working hard on it.” His statement showed that the team management still trusts the players despite occasional mistakes.

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He further added, “The players need to take on responsibility on the field. Fielding is something we speak about a lot. At times, we are guilty of giving away 15-20 runs and it is one aspect we keep working hard on.” His comments highlighted how important fielding discipline is for the team.

India’s fielding has been a concern throughout the tournament. In the match against West Indies alone, three catches were dropped, including two by Abhishek Sharma. The statistics also reveal the issue, as India currently have the lowest catching efficiency among the teams that reached the Super 8 stage, with the figure dropping to 71.7%. After the defeat to South Africa, the team management made changes by recalling Sanju Samson to bring better balance and flexibility to the side.