R Ashwin Warns Abhishek Sharma Over Shot Selection After SRH’s Collapse vs RCB

Ravichandran Ashwin criticizes Abhishek Sharma’s shot selection, urging better awareness after SRH’s costly powerplay collapse against RCB.

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has raised concerns over Abhishek Sharma’s approach at the top of the order following Sunrisers Hyderabad’s poor start against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026.

After being put in to bat by Rajat Patidar, SRH’s opening pair of Abhishek and Travis Head struggled to settle early on. The duo faced a disciplined spell from Jacob Duffy and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, which forced them into errors.

Abhishek was the first to fall, mistiming a bouncer and edging it to the wicketkeeper, while Head followed soon after with a mistimed pull shot that found a fielder in the deep. Their early dismissals left SRH reeling and unable to capitalize during the crucial powerplay phase.

Ashwin Questions Shot Selection And Game Awareness

Speaking about the dismissals, Ashwin emphasized the need for better game awareness and patience from the young opener.

“SRH lost both the powerplays. Batting first is always good for SRH. There was a lot of disappointment here because Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma didn’t read the wicket very well,” Ashwin said while speaking on his YouTube channel.

“The ball will move around a bit at the Chinnaswamy because there is some moisture in the wicket. If they had taken a bit more time, even if they were 45 or 50-1 in six overs, they would have ended up making a bigger score,” Ashwin said.

The veteran also pointed out that aggressive intent must be balanced with situational awareness, especially on surfaces offering early assistance to bowlers.

Concerns Over Consistency Continue

Ashwin further highlighted that Abhishek’s inconsistency remains a concern, particularly against deliveries outside his comfort zone.

“No matter how much SRH would have scored, I feel it wouldn’t have been enough. SRH’s powerplay bowling is looking quite weak,” Ashwin added.

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“I had made a package, telling where to bowl to Abhishek Sharma and just as I was discussing that, he got out. I am a big fan of Abhishek Sharma, but he has to pay attention to all of this,” Ashwin said.

Despite a counterattack later in the innings from Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, SRH’s early collapse proved costly, once again putting the spotlight on their top-order approach in high-pressure matches.