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Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth came up with a surprising suggestion for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side's possible change in the playing XI in their second T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Nambia which will take place at Arun Jaitely Stadium in New Delhi.
With Abhishek Sharma recovering from viral fever and a stomach infection, Srikkanth feels India should try something different instead of going with Sanju Samson. However, Abhishek was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday after being unwell for a couple of days. Although he is recovering, the team management may not want to take a risk with him against Namibia, especially with a big game against Pakistan coming up in Colombo. Abhishek is expected to play a key role at the top of the order in that high-pressure match.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth on India's opener vs Namibia
Sharing his thoughts on his YouTube show ‘Cheeky Cheeka’, Srikkanth said that if he were captain, he would promote Washington Sundar to open the innings. Sundar has just returned from injury and has been declared fit for the Namibia game. Srikkanth believes giving him a chance at the top would help him regain match confidence ahead of the Pakistan clash.
He was quite direct about Sanju Samson, saying that the wicketkeeper-batter has not been in good form despite getting enough chances. According to Srikkanth, if Abhishek returns for the Pakistan game, he would move Sundar down to No. 8 and leave out Rinku Singh. He admitted that his idea might sound unusual, but said it would help Sundar get valuable game time before the crucial match.
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"If I was the captain, I would have had a different thought process. Sanju is totally out of form. I will bring Washington Sundar in and make him open. I want him to be fit and playing the match against Pakistan. If Abhishek comes back for the Pakistan game, I will push Sundar to eight and remove Rinku Singh. My thinking is out of the box here. Samson has been given a fair run and he has not done anything. It is just to give Sundar the feel of a match," Srikkanth said.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth wants Abhishek to play against Namibia
At the same time, Srikkanth stressed that it would be important for Abhishek to play against Namibia if he is fully fit. He explained that rhythm and momentum matter a lot in cricket, and missing a game could affect a player’s flow. However, he also said that if Samson gets an opportunity, he must make the most of it because he may not get another chance soon.
"Abhishek Sharma playing against Namibia and getting back rhythm is very important. The momentum in cricket is very important. So him not playing will be a very big loss. Only good thing is Sanju may get an opportunity. We have to see if he can capitalise or not. He has to capitalise on this chance, there is no other choice," he said.
Apart from the opening combination, there are chances that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will also feature against Namibia as he missed the tournament opener against USA at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
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