Starting strong could be key for Abhishek Sharma as SunRisers Hyderabad open their IPL 2026 campaign. Matchday arrives March 28, when SRH take on reigning title holders Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Though he shone brightly during the previous league edition, his recent form took a dip under pressure. His run spree for India in T20 internationals raised hopes high across fans and selectors alike. Yet come the global stage of the 2026 T20 World Cup, things didn’t click consistently at bat.
Out of nowhere came a rough patch – three dismissals without scoring. Then, just when things looked bleak, two solid knocks followed. Eight times at bat, yet barely crossing 140 in total. Runs didn’t flow easily for him during that stretch.
Focused on IPL 2026, Abhishek catches the eye of AB de Villiers, who offers quiet guidance from years worn under southern skies. Though oceans apart in era, their paths meet in moments like these – soft words landing where ambition already hums.
“Don’t suffocate because of the pressure. Instead, embrace it and love it. Go back to the nets and be that child again, who loves the game and has passion for it, to figure out new things about yourself. If he has that kind of mindset, he is going to be just fine,” de Villiers told Star Sports.
The South Africa great gave the reference of Virat Kohli to guide Abhishek. “When you are feeling the pressure externally, you just have to keep working on your own game. That’s one of the things I saw in Virat in all those years. He would constantly analyse his own game, and that’s where Abhishek is at now,” he said.
Even after a lackluster outing at the T20 World Cup 2026, Abhishek stayed number one in the ICC T20I batting standings. By March 19, he led the chart with 875 rating points. Behind him, Ishan Kishan sat in second place – just four points adrift. The left-hander held firm despite the tournament’s rough patches.
Last season in the IPL, Abhishek made 439 runs. That came out to a steady 33.77 on average. His hitting pace stood high – 193.39. Not once before had he finished so strong across a full run. One hundred marked his top score. Two half-centuries helped build that total. It became his second most successful campaign overall
