Former India opener Virender Sehwag believes the team management should consider giving Abhishek Sharma a break and bring in Sanju Samson for the crucial clash against Zimbabwe, which is scheduled to take place at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Abhishek has had a tough T20 World Cup so far. He fell sick during the tournament and has not been able to find his rhythm. In the group stage, he was dismissed for three consecutive ducks before scoring 15 runs off 12 balls in India’s heavy 76-run loss to South Africa.
India are already struggling at the top of the order, and Abhishek’s poor run has only added to the concern. Despite this, the team management has continued to back him, hoping he will bounce back when it matters most.
Why did Sehwag advise India to feature with Sanju Samson instead of Abhishek Sharma?
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Sehwag said that in a match of such importance, he would prefer to go with a player who is in better form. According to him, this is the one game where India cannot afford to experiment too much because a defeat would knock them out of the tournament.
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“If I were part of the management, I would rest Abhishek and give Sanju Samson a chance. This is a do-or-die game. If India lose, they are out,” Sehwag said. He added that for such a big match, the team should field their strongest XI based purely on current form.
How can India qualify for the T20 World Cup semifinals?
Apart from securing two points, India also needs to keep an eye on their net run rate, which has slipped to -3.8 after the loss to South Africa. If the West Indies defeat South Africa in the Super 8s, the pressure on Suryakumar Yadav and his team will only increase.
Abhishek had come into the tournament in excellent form, but things haven’t gone his way. In four matches so far, he has scored just 15 runs at an average of 3.75, numbers that underline his struggle in this World Cup.