Abhishek Sharma’s explosive batting helped India seal a 2-1 T20 series win over Australia, but former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has urged the explosive opener to tone down his aggression wisely—or else he will be thrashed by his rivals at the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

The 25-year-old left-handed batsman’s dominance was undeniable: he scored 163 runs in four innings at an average of 40.75 and was named ‘Player of the Series’ after hitting a blistering 68 off 37 balls in the decider on the Gold Coast. His powerplay prowess—six sixes, a strike rate close to 161—carried India from the Sydney defeat to a spectacular performance in Hobart and the rain-affected Brisbane final, reminiscent of his mastery at the Asia Cup 2025, where he topped the list with 314 runs in seven unbeaten innings.

Yet Pathan, analyzing on YouTube, points to one flaw: the crease-dance loft of Abhishek, a run-machine but a predictable threat. “He won the Man of the Series title, but World Cup opponents will be making plans. Going for every fast bowler? No—selectively. There needs to be a blueprint for aggression, not blind bravery,” warned Pathan, watching Abhishek’s Brisbane faltering against the cutters of Nathan Ellis and Ben Dwarshuis, where two mishits squandered the chance of the drop.

Pathan pointed out this weakness: “Against fast bowlers like Ellis, he slows down. Teams will be full of variations in the powerplay. I will talk to Yuvi Pa—his mentor—to further improve it.” Abhishek’s fearless but flawed style is reminiscent of the Yuvraj Singh era, but development is necessary for India’s title defense from February 7 to March 8, 2026.

The next match is in front of South Africa, this change of Sharma can further strengthen his weakness for Suryakumar Yadav. Pathan’s gesture? A timely nudge for the T20 chessboard: proceed wisely, not forever.