Irfan Pathan’s Blunt Warning After Abhishek Sharma’s Ducks: ‘Take a Single!’

Irfan Pathan analysed Abhishek Sharma’s three ducks in the T20 World Cup 2026, revealing how off-spinners and leg-stump lines have bothered the opener.

Abhishek Sharma entered the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with high expectations, but his group-stage performance remains poor. He registered a golden duck against the United States and fell cheaply against Pakistan and the Netherlands. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes opposition teams have developed a clear plan against him.

Pathan noted that off-spinners have targeted the stumps and bowled on a leg-stump line to deny room. Agha Salman dismissed him against Pakistan, while Aryan Dutt bowled him in the first over at Ahmedabad.

In the first match, there was no clear pattern to Abhishek’s dismissal. But in the last two matches, a pattern has emerged. Off-spinners have bowled at the stumps, almost targeting the leg stump line, not giving him any room, and keeping the mid-on fielder inside the circle. Against Pakistan, he was dismissed by a part-time off-spinner (Agha Salman). Then, against Aryan Dutt, he was bowled in the very first over while playing across the line against off-spin,” Irfan explained in a video on his YouTube channel.

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“At first, I felt there was no pattern. But when you get out in a similar manner twice, it means the opposition has a clear plan against you. The plan is simple: as an off-spinner, do not give him room. Today, during commentary, I was discussing this with Harbhajan Singh. He used to bowl around the wicket to left-handers, angling the ball in. When a batter with a new ball is looking for a turn, he can get trapped. That is what happened with Abhishek Sharma,” he added.

Pathan Warns Abhishek Sharma About Off-Spin Trap

Irfan Pathan then suggested Abhishek Sharma should try to play straighter and rotate strike instead of forcing boundaries. He warned that long deliveries become dangerous when the bat swings across the line.

“But if an off-spinner comes on, my advice to him would be this: expect that they will not give you room. If your bat naturally comes across, ideally, you should try to play straight down the ground. However, if you do not want to change your natural pattern completely, then mentally you must be prepared to take a single when the ball is slightly wide,” he said.

“If the ball is pitched up, you can adjust even if your bat comes slightly across, because you can reach it with your feet and still play straight. The real danger is when the ball is on a length and you follow your natural instinct to go across the line. That is where you get trapped. You are not being given room, so you must recognise that plan,” Irfan Pathan concluded.

India will next face South Africa in their first Super Eights match in Ahmedabad on February 22.