Former batter Aakash Chopra has backed Abhishek Sharma to retain his place in India’s playing XI for the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match against South Africa. Chopra said that X-factor players deserve patience, noting that Abhishek has bounced back from failures before, including two ducks against New Zealand.
Abhishek was dismissed for a three-ball duck against the Netherlands. Notably, it was his third consecutive duck in the marquee tournament. He has faced only eight balls in three matches, and India will hope he finds form in the Super 8s. In 2026, he has played eight T20Is and has been out for a duck five times.
Abhishek Sharma Is An X-Factor – Aakash Chopra
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said that Sanju Samson should not replace Abhishek Sharma. He added that players go through rough patches and should not be dropped after a few low scores. Chopra described Abhishek as an X-factor and a key player.
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“No, don’t do that. You go through bad times. A guy gets out once or twice. He (Abhishek) got out for zero twice even in the New Zealand series, but he scored runs after that, and you don’t start dropping people just like that,” Chopra said.
“Abhishek Sharma is an X-factor. He is this team’s very important player. When he starts playing, he will play incredibly well, there is no doubt about that. I don’t think we need to jump the gun yet,” he added.
It’s Not Like Sanju Samson Is Coming With Such Rocket Form – Aakash Chopra
Chopra also stated that Sanju Samson is not in great form, which would force a change in the playing XI. He added that there is no clear confidence Samson would dominate the South African bowlers.
“It’s not like Sanju Samson is coming with such rocket form, seeing which you would say that there is a great injustice being done, or you get the confidence that he would hit Marco Jansen into the Sabarmati if he plays. He isn’t coming after scoring so many runs,” Chopra observed.
Sanju Samson played only one match in the T20 World Cup 2026. He scored 22 runs off eight balls in India’s 93-run win against Namibia. However, his form before the tournament was a concern, as he managed only 46 runs at an average of 9.20 across five innings in the T20I series against New Zealand.
I Think Abhishek Sharma Has to Continue – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra said that India should continue backing Abhishek Sharma. He also admitted that Abhishek and other Indian batters have struggled against off-spin and added that this should not lead to hasty changes in the batting lineup.
“I am not going to entertain that thought one bit. I am not thinking about it. I think Abhishek Sharma has to continue, and he must score runs also, although it’s true that we are struggling against off-spin. We have lost wickets there, whether it was against Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha or Aryan Dutt,” he said in the same video.
However, analyst Aakash Chopra said that India should not play cautiously against Aiden Markram. He stated that Suryakumar Yadav and the rest of the batting group need to stay aggressive. Chopra also advised Abhishek Sharma to first rotate the strike and then target the straight boundaries.
Also read: India squads for Asian Games: Suryakumar Yadav, Harmanpreet Kaur set to lead gold hunt
