Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes the team should persist with Abhishek Sharma for the semi-final, unless there are any mental or confidence-related concerns affecting him. While Abhishek has found it tough this tournament, Shastri feels backing him could pay off. The left-hander has managed 80 runs from six outings at an average of 13.33, with a top score of 55, striking at 131.14, numbers that underline a T20 World Cup campaign that hasn’t quite taken off. A stomach infection disrupted his preparation and forced him out of the Namibia game, and he has struggled to find rhythm since returning.
Throwing his weight behind continuity while leaving room for a late rethink, Shastri said the call ultimately rests on the team management’s reading of the player’s mental space. Shastri stressed that any change at the top should only come if there are visible signs of a dip in confidence, hinting that alternatives remain on the table if concerns persist.
“Unless the team management realises that, mentally he’s not there. If mentally, his mindset has taken a beating, it’s for them to judge from the outside, in conversations with him, just seeing the way he’s batting in the nets,” Shastri said on ICC Review.
Meanwhile, he suggested that if Team India has to take the bold step of dropping him, then Rinku Singh should replace him in the lower-middle order, and Ishan Kishan should open the innings with Sanju Samson.
“If that’s the case, then and only then will I think of putting Ishan Kishan up the order and then probably Rinku Singh bringing him, at the bottom,” he added.
“I would still persist with Abhishek Sharma”
However, he reiterated that Abhishek should continue in the XI, pointing to his past success in England and the batting-friendly conditions at Wankhede as strong reasons to persist with him.
“That could be the only change, but I would still persist with him because last time India played England, he had a terrific series against them. I won’t take that away at the Wankhede,” Shastri said. “He’s done well in the past. He’s got some big hundreds there and very quick hundreds. I’ll persist with him because there’s enough firepower in that batting,” he added.
