Cricket can be harsh sometimes and Abhishek Sharma is experiencing this in the IPL 2026. The Sunrisers Hyderabad opener has created an unwanted record, becoming the first Indian batter to register seven ducks in a single calendar year.
His latest dismissal came on April 13 during an IPL match against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Facing Jofra Archer, Abhishek Sharma got out on the very first ball, mistiming a short delivery that was caught at deep third. This marked his seventh duck in just 18 innings this year.
Before this, Sanju Samson in 2024 and Rohit Sharma in 2018 held the record with six ducks each but they both took 32 innings to reach that number. Abhishek has surpassed them in less than four months, making the record even more striking. Gurkeerat Singh follows them on the list.
Abhishek has also become only the second Sunrisers Hyderabad batter after Shikhar Dhawan to record multiple ducks in a season like this. Notably, no other batter has even five ducks in T20s in 2026 so far.
Despite these numbers, Abhishek Sharma’s aggressive style remains unchanged. Just last year, in 2025, he was ranked as the top T20 batter in the world thanks to his fearless approach, skill and attacking mindset. However, continuing with the same high-risk style is now leading to inconsistent results.
This has become a concern for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The lack of consistent runs from Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head also affected their 2025 season and seems to be continuing in 2026. The team now faces a tough decision, whether to back their match-winners or make bold changes to push them towards a more balanced approach.
The situation also has implications beyond the IPL. With rising talents like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivering strong performances with a similar attacking mindset, competition is increasing. If Abhishek Sharma’s form does not improve, pressure from emerging players could grow, testing the patience of the Indian team management.
For now, Abhishek Sharma stands at a crossroads, between staying fearless and finding consistency.
