Suryakumar Yadav Teases Abhishek Sharma Amid Star Opener's Poor Form, Skipper's Playful Act Goes Viral | Watch

ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Abhishek Sharma's disappointing form has emerged as a huge concern for India in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026, having registered three ducks in as many matches. India made it to the Super 8s on the back of four successive victories in the group stage, beating the USA, Namibia, Pakistan and the Netherlands.

Apart from the heavy criticism, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was seen teasing Abhishek ahead of the upcoming match against South Africa, which is scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, February 22. A viral video from India's practice session ahead of the South Africa clash has surfaced on social media. In the video, Suryakumar was seen checking Abhishek's pocket. Fans continued to speculate about Suryakumar's act on Abhishek.

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Suryakumar checked Abhishek Sharma's pocket before the Africa match.💀

Something big is cooking 👀 pic.twitter.com/wLjoA2umoX

— muffatball vikrant (@Vikrant_1589) February 20, 2026

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Whenever Abhishek Sharma lights up the IPL with a standout knock, he marks the moment by pulling a slip of paper from his pocket — a celebration reserved only for something special. But with his bat currently quiet, whispers suggest Suryakumar might be playfully reminding him of that trademark gesture. Making his first T20 World Cup appearance, Abhishek was dismissed for a first-ball duck against the USA in the first game before missing the second fixture against Namibia due to a stomach issue.

Things went from bad to worse for Abhishek as he was dismissed for 0 against Pakistan and the Netherlands. As India look to maintain their winning run and put their best foot forward in the Super 8s with an aim to make it to the semifinals, there have been calls from many experts to drop Abhishek from the side. Addressing a press conference on Friday, Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel dismissed any talk of dropping Abhishek Sharma from India's upcoming games. "Absolutely no discussion in our team group about that. He is a world-class player. So far in the tournament, luckily, we’ve had other guys standing up with Abhishek not scoring the runs you would like," Morkel told the media.

"We’re going through a very important phase of the World Cup now, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to deliver. Not just for the team, but also for all the viewers watching the game, because he’s entertaining and we love to see that. He’s hitting the ball well in the nets. It’s just a matter of getting that start and getting his innings going," Morkel added.