India Coach Reminds Struggling Abhishek Sharma Of 'Feel-Good Moments' Ahead Of Semifinal Clash Against England

India vs England Semifinal, ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Despite his disappointing form so far in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the Indian team is set to persist with Abhishek Sharma for their semi-final match against England, which is scheduled to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, March 5. India's bowling coach Morne Morkel backed the young opener Abhishek to come good in the all-important match.

Abhishek has struggled for runs throughout the tournament, starting off with three successive ducks and a battle with food poisoning during the group stage, which caused him to miss the Namibia clash in Delhi. His first runs came against South Africa, scoring 15 in 12 balls. Although a fifty against Zimbabwe offered some optimism, Abhishek's poor run continued with an 11-ball 10 against West Indies in the must-win virtual quarterfinal at Kolkata.

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Offering his support to Abhishek, Morkel said that sometimes, "The game can be hard and cruel", and Abhishek is facing something that fellow opener Sanju Samson was facing not so long ago. The former Proteas bowler backed Abhishek to learn from it and come out of this rough phase as a better player.

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"I think just sometimes this game can be hard on you, cruel on you. A similar situation that Sanju found himself in. In your career, you are going to find moments like this. And this is good growth for him; it is good learning for him. For a young sort of guy finding his feet in international cricket, this will only help him down the line in Indian cricket."

India will be heading into the match on the back of a 5-wicket thrilling victory over the West Indies in their last Super 8 match in Kolkata. Morkel expressed that Abhishek needs is a "one or two shots" to find his rhythm and urged him to revisit his best times at the venue, which includes an explosive 54-ball 135 against the same opposition last year.

"He is not a guy who worries too much about technique. Normally, those sorts of players take a lot more time to get into confidence. So like I said, it is a fresh page for him tomorrow. Opportunity to go and do well. Scored a hundred here against England not too long ago (last year, a score of 135, the highest score by an Indian in T20Is). For him, it is just tapping into those little videos and looking at his feel-good moments and building a blueprint and knowing he is starting on zero tomorrow. It is a new opportunity for him," he concluded.