T20 World Cup: No talk in the team about Abhishek’s form, says Morkel

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India's Abhishek Sharma during a signifier    league   earlier  an ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 cricket lucifer  betwixt  India and South Africa, astatine  the Narendra Modi Stadium, successful  Ahmedabad, connected  February 20, 2026.

India's Abhishek Sharma during a signifier league earlier an ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 cricket lucifer betwixt India and South Africa, astatine the Narendra Modi Stadium, successful Ahmedabad, connected February 20, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI

India’s bowling manager Morne Morkel stressed that determination had been nary treatment astir Abhishek Sharma’s wretched tally successful the T20 World Cup truthful far.

Abhishek is yet to unfastened his relationship successful the tournament, and during Friday’s (February 20, 2026) training, the opener was seen spending sizeable clip with caput manager Gautam Gambhir. The southpaw, who has been dismissed for a duck thrice, could look different large trial erstwhile India takes connected South Africa successful its archetypal Super Eight lucifer astatine the Narendra Modi Stadium successful Ahmedabad connected Sunday (February 22, 2026).

When asked if determination has been speech wrong the squad astir Abhishek’s mediocre form, Morkel denied emphatically.

“Absolutely, nary discussion. He is simply a world-class player. So acold successful the tournament, luckily, determination person been immoderate guys lasting up for Abhishek (others scoring runs),” Morkel said.

Read | T20 World Cup 2026 | India enters Super Eight with 4 retired of 4 record

Morkel, however, agreed that Abhishek needs to people runs arsenic the tourney enters its concern end. “But we are going done a precise important signifier of the World Cup present and we expect him to bash well. I americium beauteous sure, not lone for the squad but besides for each the viewers watching the game.

“Because Abhishek is entertaining, and we emotion to spot that.

“I americium definite that helium is hitting the shot well. It is conscionable a substance of getting that start; helium volition get going aft that,” Morkel said.

The pitches successful Mumbai and Ahmedabad person raised eyebrows, but Morkel was sympathetic towards the curators, saying that they had provided strips to the champion of their abilities.

“Credit to the curators for producing pitches that are 200-plus surfaces truthful precocious successful the season. It is simply a nightmare. There is simply a batch of unit connected those guys. They enactment a batch of hard enactment into giving america the champion aboveground that they tin perchance prepare.”

The manager was unsure if the pitches are tiring due to the fact that of overuse during the home season.

“So acold this tournament, we person done truly good with batting and bowling. Bar the 1 game, the archetypal game, it was not a 200-plus surface.

“It was possibly a 170-run surface, and we went a small spot excessively hard astatine the start. But again, that was the learning. So determination person been learnings from each lucifer truthful far, and I deliberation that it is the quality astir this game,” Morkel said.

Published - February 21, 2026 05:40 americium IST

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