Abhishek Sharma reveals what he did to break Mohd Amir’s 'slogger' curse before T20 World Cup final and how Shivam Dube helped

India opener Abhishek Sharma has revealed the small but unusual change he made before the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, a decision that ended up playing a part in his explosive innings. The left-hander smashed a quick half-century that helped India beat New Zealand by 96 runs and clinch a historic Men’s T20 World Cup title, becoming the first team to defend the trophy, the first to win it at home and the first to lift it three times.

The knock also marked a timely return to form for Abhishek, who had struggled through most of the tournament before producing a match-defining performance in the final.

I was having cramps: Abhishek

Soon after the match, however, the long stay at the crease caught up with him physically. As he walked in for the post-match media interaction, Abhishek apologised and left early due to cramps.


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“I have played such a long innings after a long time, so I am having cramps. Sorry guys.”

While Abhishek exited quickly, his opening partner Ishan Kishan continued answering questions from reporters well past 1 a.m., hours after India sealed the title.

A tough tournament before the final

Abhishek had entered the tournament as one of the favourites for the Player of the Tournament award. But his campaign did not go according to plan.

Before the final, he had scored just 89 runs in eight innings, with his only half-century coming against Zimbabwe. The modest numbers and a strike rate hovering around 130 led to growing questions about his form as India approached the knockout stages.

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Even then, captain Suryakumar Yadav publicly backed his opener and urged patience.

“Since he has carried the burden of the team on his shoulders for so long, it’s time for us to do the same when he is going through a tough patch.”

Pakistan pacer Mohd Amir called Abhishek a slogger

Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir had earlier taken a swipe at Abhishek Sharma during the tournament, questioning the Indian opener’s aggressive approach and suggesting it would not work consistently against quality pace attacks. Amir had said that batters who rely too much on slogging eventually get exposed when bowlers stick to disciplined lines and lengths. His remarks came when Abhishek was going through a lean phase in the competition, and the comment quickly drew attention among cricket fans, with many seeing the opener’s blistering knock in the final as a fitting response on the field.

How Abhishek broke the curse

On the morning of the final, Abhishek decided to try something different, he picked up a teammate’s bat.

“Today I batted with Shivam Dube’s bat, so thank you Dube,” Abhishek said. “In the morning I felt like trying something different. Shubman (Gill) was not around, so I walked up to Dube and picked his bat.”

The change turned into an unlikely lucky charm.

At the Narendra Modi Stadium, Abhishek began cautiously. His first ball, a solid forward defence against Glenn Phillips, showed he was ready to spend time at the crease if needed.

But once he realised the pitch was playing true, similar to the surface used during the semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium, he shifted gears quickly.

A rapid turnaround with the bat

What followed was a burst of attacking cricket. Boundaries started flowing, and Abhishek raced to his half-century in just 18 balls, giving India the early momentum that shaped the final.

The quickfire innings helped India build a strong total and set up the comfortable victory that sealed the championship.

For Abhishek, the knock was also the end of a difficult phase that had lasted nearly a month after an impressive run of form over the previous year and a half.

“I have been dealing with this phase for the last one month after having a dream run for about a year and a half. One thing matters a lot in such situations — the company you keep. If the people around you want to help you become better, it makes a big difference. When I was not contributing with the bat, everyone in the team still believed in me. They kept saying, ‘He will do it’,” Abhishek said.

Backing from the dressing room

The opener said he never lost trust in his teammates or the support staff during the lean patch, even when runs were hard to come by.

“I never doubted my teammates, coaches or the support staff. The only question I had was why things were not working for me. I believe the environment around you matters a lot. The people around you should motivate you. Everyone goes through tough phases in life, not just in cricket. At that time, the company you keep becomes very important.”

He also spoke about the importance of maintaining self-belief during difficult times.

“The first thing is to trust yourself no matter how bad the phase is. When you start doubting yourself, it creates pressure and you cannot play your natural game. That doesn’t help the team either. Self-confidence, hard work and helping others are very important. When you help others, it eventually comes back to you.”