Prior to their second T20I match against England at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium, India had experienced an injury scare. On Friday night, while warming up here, opener Abhishek Sharma hurt his right ankle. The physio rushed to Abhishek, who was clearly in discomfort. The left-hander did not bat, but he did walk after receiving treatment for his ankle and even made his way to the MAC B Stadium's nets.
Doubtful for Chennai game
As per an Indian Express report, The left-hander's participation in the game on Saturday night is in doubt after he was spotted limping at the nets. India won easily at the Eden Gardens after the opener top-scored for the team with 79 in the opening game at Kolkata.
They do not have a third opener in the team, so it would be intriguing to see who will partner Sanju Samson at the top if Abhishek is ruled out of the match. The Punjab opener might then be replaced by either Dhruv Jurel or Tilak Varma.
Mohammed Shami bowled solidly at the nets while benched in Kolkata game. At first, bowling coach Morne Morkel closely monitored him while he bowled with a knee brace and a shorter run-up. He took a 15–20 minute break before returning later and bowling at full speed.
Although his exclusion in Kolkata sparked questions about his health, It is reported that the pacer is match-fit and that India's fondness for combinations was the only reason he did not make the XI. India has chosen to include all-rounders since they are obviously seeking depth in both their bowling and batting, as evidenced by the inclusion of both Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy in the starting lineup alongside the three spinners Varun Chakaravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravi Bishnoi. The only pacer in the starting lineup was Arshdeep Singh, and the bowling lineup might not change in Chepauk either.