Mark your online calendar: it’s less than a week until Abhishek Sharma vs Brian Bennett in the Super 8s

2 minute read
Pardon us for looking so far ahead – they both have a match in hand for India against Zimbabwe on Thursday – but we have been sucked in by the wildly different fortunes of Abhishek Sharma and Brian Bennett so far this tournament. We can’t wait to see what happens when they play in the same game. You suspect it can’t go on like this any longer.

For those who don’t know, Indian Abhishek Sharma is currently at the top of the men’s T20 batting rankings. He comes out at the top of the order, charges, slices and dices and generally hits a host of straight and offside sixes. This time last year he scored 135 off 54 balls against England.

But so far this tournament, Sharma has made a duck against the US, a duck against Pakistan and a duck against the Netherlands. In his most effective performance to date, he missed the match against Namibia due to the wild shit. Just before this tournament, he scored a few more ducks against New Zealand in the series.

He also made a dive on his debut, against Zimbabwe in 2024, when he was dismissed by Brian Bennett in the opener. This was a bit strange because Bennett is not a bowler. He has taken just six wickets in 55 T20Is.

Like Sharma, Bennett is primarily a leadoff hitter. Unlike Sharma, he has had no interest in coming out in this T20 World Cup. So far he has made 48 not out, 64 not out and 63 not out.

It’s very strange for an opening batsman to not finish out in a T20 match and very, very, very strange to do that for three games in a row. Bennett’s scoring percentage wasn’t electric. He doesn’t come across as the most ambitious strokemaker and is yet to hit a six. However, it is worth noting that Zimbabwe has won every time.

This could change. The Chevrons – that’s what they’re called – play the also unbeaten West Indies on Monday, so Bennett could effectively be dismissed before he gets a chance to heighten the contrast between his own returns and Sharma’s flock. Meanwhile, India’s opener will get a fourth chance to get off the mark against South Africa on Sunday – bowels permitting.