Ahmedabad

Indian men’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday extended strong support to out-of-form opener Abhishek Sharma ahead of India’s first Super 8 match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 against South Africa on Sunday.

India will face South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Abhishek, India’s aggressive left-handed opener, has endured a difficult start to the tournament, registering three consecutive ducks in as many group-stage matches. Despite the lack of runs, the Indian skipper said the team continues to back the young batter.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar said he was more concerned about the external pressure being placed on Abhishek rather than the player’s form itself.

“Abhishek’s form — I think the people who are worried about his form, I worry for them. So far, he hasn’t scored runs, but when he does, you’ve seen what happens. Cricket is a team sport and such phases come and go,” Suryakumar said.

He added that the team wants Abhishek to continue playing with his natural attacking intent. “Right now, the team needs him to play with his identity. If it comes off, great. If not, we are there to cover for him. Last year, he covered for us. This time, we’ll do it for him,” the India captain added.

Commenting on the playing surfaces seen so far in the tournament, Suryakumar said the Indian side is well prepared to adapt to varying wicket conditions.

“We are ready to adapt to any sort of wickets. From the first game till the last league match, the pitches were a little tricky. But we have played enough cricket to understand how to bat during the post-powerplay and how to finish games,” he said.

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India entered the Super 8 stage unbeaten after victories over Pakistan, the Netherlands, the USA and Namibia in the group stage. South Africa have also progressed with a flawless record, winning all four of their league matches.