Abhishek Sharma said his difficult run at the 2026 T20 World Cup became a turning point in his career. He added that the experience taught him the importance of mental strength and trusting his game even during failures.

The Indian opener, who came into the competition as the No.1 T20I batter, struggled badly after falling ill early in the campaign. He missed a group-stage match and then returned to score three consecutive ducks, a phase he admitted was extremely challenging.

“Playing a World Cup teaches you quickly how important mental strength and process are,” Abhishek said. “The biggest learning for me was staying balanced, not getting too high after a good innings and not too low after failures.”

He credited captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir for standing by him during the slump. Their support, he said, helped him stay confident and stick to his natural style.

“Surya bhai was amazing throughout. Even after the ducks, his message was very clear: ‘Play your natural game and don’t worry about the result.’ That kind of backing from your captain makes a huge difference,” he said.

Abhishek also remained in close contact with his mentor, Yuvraj Singh, who encouraged him not to change his approach despite the failures.

“I spoke to Yuvi paaji regularly. His message was simple: ‘Don’t change who you are as a player.’ He told me aggressive players will have phases like this, but if you keep backing your strengths, runs will come,” he added.

Reflecting on the experience, Abhishek said it has helped him grow stronger mentally and as a cricketer.

“Experiences like this make you stronger as a player. Hopefully, it will make me more resilient and mature in how I approach the game,” he said.

He will next be seen in IPL 2026 with Sunrisers Hyderabad, who begin their campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and could even take on a leadership role if Pat Cummins is unavailable.