Abhishek Sharma’s prolonged lean patch has begun to draw serious scrutiny after another underwhelming outing in the Zimbabwe series.
The left-hander has now failed to cross the 20-run mark in his last six T20I innings and did not manage a single double-digit score during the three-match tour. Since India’s T20 World Cup triumph, Abhishek has registered only one half-century, raising fresh concerns over his place in the side. The competition for the opening slot has also intensified, with several contenders waiting in the wings. Sanju Samson, despite being India’s standout performer during the World Cup-winning campaign, was dropped for the Zimbabwe series, highlighting how little room there is for prolonged poor form. With expectations rising and his returns dwindling, the spotlight has firmly shifted to Abhishek, who was the ICC’s top-ranked T20I batter just a few months ago and is now under increasing pressure to rediscover his touch.
Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth criticised Abhishek for being exposed and said it’s time for the selectors to take tough calls regarding him, while backing Samson to return to the scheme of things.
“Abhishek Sharma has been sorted out (by opponents) in international cricket, right from the World Cup. I think a tough call has to be taken against him now. I feel Sanju will get his chance again now. He will receive a call back 100%. The selectors will have to take a tough call,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“The Indian future is very good”: Srikkanth praises Mayank Yadav
Meanwhile, Mayank Yadav emerged as one of India’s biggest positives on the Zimbabwe tour, making an impressive return after a lengthy injury layoff. Playing his first international match since October 2024, the tearaway pacer picked up two wickets in the series opener before finishing with a three-wicket haul in the final T20I. Consistently bowling at a high pace, Mayank troubled Zimbabwe’s batters throughout the series and provided a timely reminder of the impact he can make when fully fit.
Srikkanth was full of praise for Mayank after the pacer enjoyed a successful return from injury during the Zimbabwe series. The former India opener hailed the youngster’s consistency across all three matches and urged the team management to continue backing promising talents.
“It was good to see Mayank Yadav playing all three games. So happy for him. Look at how consistent this boy was. The Indian future is very good. You have to back the right youngsters. I don’t mind Ashok Sharma either,” he said.