Abhishek Sharma scores hattrick of ducks; Gone for zero against Netherlands

India opener Abhishek Sharma endured a difficult night in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 as he was dismissed for a third consecutive duck in India’s Group A match against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The southpaw, usually among India’s most explosive batters, was unable to open his account yet again, falling for zero after facing three deliveries in the early stages of the game.

Sharma’s dismissal came in the very first over of the match, with Netherlands off-spinner Aryan Dutt finding the breakthrough by bowling him clean. Despite surviving two dot balls, Sharma attempted a pull shot but miscued, allowing the delivery to crash into his stumps and leaving him stranded on zero for the third straight game in the tournament. The hat-trick of ducks extends Sharma’s slump in the ongoing World Cup, having already recorded ducks against the United States and Pakistan in previous group-stage matches. Across the tournament so far, Sharma has yet to score a single run in his three innings, an unusual run of form for a batter who once ranked among the World’s top T20I hitters.

This sequence has also contributed to his tally of five ducks in T20Is this year, placing him among the openers with the most ducks in a calendar year and equalling some unwanted records in Indian T20 cricket history. As India progresses further in the tournament, questions over Sharma’s form and confidence are likely to intensify.