‘Rogue’: Former Australia wicketkeeper’s bold remarks about Abhishek Sharma

New Delhi: Indian star opener Abhishek Sharma During the 2026 T20 World Cup, he found himself at the center of severe criticism. The left-hander endured a disastrous start to the tournament, failing to open his account in three consecutive games in his first three games.On the eve of the final, Abhishek had scored just 89 runs in seven games, including three in the group stage. He returned briefly but scored just 15 points in the fourth match against South Africa. He then rediscovered his touch with a quick 55 in the fifth match against Zimbabwe. However, his form declined again, scoring only 10 goals against the West Indies and nine in the semi-final against England.

Despite inconsistent performances, the team management continues to support him, with coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav showing full faith in the young opener.In the final, Abhishek attacked the New Zealand bowlers and smashed an 18-ball fifty as India posted a resounding victory of 255/5. India then restricted New Zealand to 159 runs and successfully defended their T20 World Cup title.Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was full of praise for Abhishek, jokingly calling him a “gangster”.“I’m a big fan of Abhishek and there’s been a lot of discussion about his position throughout the tournament. A few games in a row in pool play and all of a sudden you think he’s under pressure, but in crucial moments there are people you want because they’re scoundrels and they walk into the fire. That’s what Abhishek does, he puts pressure on the opposition and the way he came out in the final set the stage for the game,” the former wicketkeeper said. Speaking on the Willow Talk cricket podcast.Harding also praised New Zealand for reaching another final but pointed to their repeated struggles at the final hurdle.“New Zealand performed well again to get to the final. I thought New Zealand played really well in the final. The way Finn Allen and Tim Seifert were batting. I thought they were in a tournament mode where everything was going their way. But there was that last hurdle. [they failed to cross]. The better team wins, right? ” he added.Abhishek ended the tournament with a score of 141 runs at a strike rate of 158.42.