Abhishek Sharma Under Pressure to Prove Himself in South Africa T20I Series, Says Former Veteran Indian Opener
The Indian cricket selection scenario is getting more and more complicated in this transition phase where senior pillars like Kohli, and Rohit are all set to step down in the near future. Following the situation, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has highlighted the mounting pressure on Abhishek Sharma ahead of India’s upcoming four-match T20I series against South Africa. Chopra believes that Sharma's place in the playing XI is at risk if he fails to perform, as the competition for spots intensifies.
With opening batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill not included in the South Africa series squad due to their preparation for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, both are expected to return for the T20I series against England in January. Chopra, in a recent video on his YouTube channel, referred to the series as a “do-or-die” situation for Abhishek, stressing that the young batter must deliver strong performances to secure his place in the team when Jaiswal and Gill return. He said,
I think India has two or three big questions. The pressure will be on Abhishek Sharma and a little bit on Sanju Samson, although Sanju scored a hundred in the last match. So I am not going to say that there is any pressure on Sanju. However, since Yashasvi (Jaiswal) will come and Shubman Gill will come at some stage, you feel you should score a lot of runs whenever you get a chance to open. So it’s important for him but it’s do or die for Abhishek Sharma because after this when the England T20I series will be played at home, you will definitely be dropped if you don’t score runs here……….It’s a volatile situation in Indian cricket. The changes are happening very quickly. The season doesn’t change that many times in a day in England, although it changes there many times, but the changes in the Indian team are happening like that. So it’s important for the openers.
Sharma, who made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in July, impressed with a quickfire 100 off 47 balls in his second match. However, his subsequent outings have been inconsistent, with just one score above 16 in his last six innings.
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