Team India has kicked off its preparations in earnest at Chennai’s Chepauk ahead of a high-stakes Super 8 showdown against Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup on Thursday (Feb 26), with the side staring down the barrel of an early exit after their 76-run defeat to South Africa in Ahmedabad.
With their tournament lives on the line, India used Tuesday evening’s training session to address several pressing concerns chief among them the form of opener Abhishek Sharma and a potential reshuffle in the playing XI.
Rinku’s Absence Opens Door for Samson
According to the latest reports, Rinku Singh has left the Indian camp to be with his ailing father and is unlikely to be available for the Zimbabwe fixture. With his return looking uncertain, Sanju Samson has emerged as the most likely replacement. Samson trained alongside Ishan Kishan on Tuesday, with both batters working specifically on playing the turning ball. Should Samson walk into the XI, he is expected to open the batting alongside Abhishek, with Ishan Kishan slotting in at number three. India could also consider bringing in Axar Patel in place of Washington Sundar as another potential change to the lineup.
SKY Targets Improved Strike-Rate
T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav dedicated his session to range-hitting, looking to sharpen the aggressive approach that had dipped in the loss to South Africa a drop in strike-rate that proved costly for India in Ahmedabad. While his knock against the USA in India’s tournament opener helped the side escape what could have been a damaging result, Suryakumar has not looked at his authoritative best in the games since. A Times of India report noted that despite being repeatedly dismissed by India’s frontline spinners during the session, he continued to attack them with intent, sending the ball into the Chepauk stands on multiple occasions. With India reportedly requesting Chennai’s curators to prepare a surface that is more batting-friendly while offering some assistance to spinners, Suryakumar’s adjusted approach could work in India’s favour.
Abhishek Bowls Leg-Spin, Then Finds His Groove at the Crease
Opener Abhishek Sharma has been one of the more troubling stories of India’s campaign. After a strong run in the T20I bilateral series leading into the tournament, his form collapsed sharply he was dismissed for a duck in three consecutive games and managed just 15 against South Africa, looking short of ideas each time.
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With the Zimbabwe game likely to be a defining moment for his place in the XI, Abhishek took an unusual route in the nets on Tuesday bowling leg-spin before spending time observing batters facing practice spinners from the sidelines. As the session wound down, he came in to bat for close to half an hour, and the results were encouraging. Several of his shots cleared the boundary rope, and those watching on appeared convinced that Abhishek was edging closer to a breakthrough moment at precisely the time India needs it most.
