Abhishek Sharma’s T20 World Cup Woes Deepen with Zero Against Netherlands
Ahmedabad: India opener Abhishek Sharma’s struggle for form in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup continued on Wednesday, as the left-hander was dismissed for a duck against the Netherlands. This marks his third consecutive failure to score in the tournament, raising concerns ahead of the Super Eights stage.
The Dismissal: Aryan Dutt Strikes Early
Facing Dutch off-spinner Aryan Dutt in the first over at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Sharma looked unsettled. On the third delivery, Dutt pitched the ball back of a length on middle and off stump. The delivery skidded through with the angle, beating Sharma’s attempted swipe across the line. The ball bypassed the bat completely and clattered into the leg stump, leaving India one wicket down without a run on the board.
This dismissal follows a difficult campaign for the southpaw:
- vs USA: Golden duck in the tournament opener.
- vs Namibia: Missed due to hospitalization (stomach infection).
- vs Pakistan: Dismissed for zero.
- vs Netherlands: Out for zero (current match).
Match Context and Toss Update
Earlier in the day, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bat first. With India already qualified for the Super Eights, the team aims to maintain a clean sheet in the group stage. Speaking at the toss, Yadav emphasized the need to put runs on the board and test the bowlers’ defensive capabilities.
“The mood in the camp is really good, and they are playing the brand of cricket I want them to play,” Yadav stated. “Every game, someone is putting their hand up, and that is good to see.”
Team News and Changes
India announced two changes to their playing XI for this final group stage encounter:
- In: Arshdeep Singh (replacing Kuldeep Yadav)
- In: Washington Sundar (replacing Axar Patel, who is rested)
Match Fast Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup |
| Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Toss Result | India won the toss, elected to bat |
| India Captain | Suryakumar Yadav |
| Netherlands Captain | Scott Edwards |
Official Playing XIs
India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (wk/c), Zach Lion-Cachet, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Noah Croes.
For official tournament standings and statistics, visit the International Cricket Council (ICC) website or the BCCI official site.