Abhishek Sharma Dropped: Changes India Must Make To Beat Zimbabwe In T20 WC Super 8

Changes India must make vs Zimbabwe [Source: PTI]

It seems like India came into the T20 World Cup 2026 overconfident, and the team got a reality check in the Super 8 fixture against South Africa on Sunday. The defending champions were battered and humiliated, and now they fight to somehow stay alive in the tournament after an embarrassing performance.

The Indian bowlers had South Africa in jail before David Miller, Dewald Brevis, and Tristan Stubbs came to the rescue. The trio hammered the Indian bowlers at the Narendra Modi Stadium and managed to post 187/7.

The target was enough to destroy the famed indian batting lineup as all the big names failed, and the side got bundled out for a paltry 111. Their net run-rate was badly affected by the loss, and the team has no choice but to win their remaining two games by huge margins.

Several Indian players underperformed against the Proteas, and here are the changes India must make to beat Zimbabwe in their next match.

Abhishek Sharma out, Samson in

Abhishek Sharma entered the T20 World Cup as the number one-ranked batter in the format, and everything that he touched turned to gold. However, five games into the T20 World Cup, and the reality now looks a lot different.

He started the tournament with three ducks in a row, and against the South African attack, the Indian opener was exposed as he barely rotated the strike and was only looking for big shots.

(Abhishek Sharma in T20 World Cup)

• Who would have imagined that after playing four games in the tournament, Abhishek would have only scored 15 runs, including three ducks in a row? His batting template was exposed by the South African bowlers as they hardly gave him any room, and the frustrated opener miscued a shot straight to the fielder.
• India’s next game is against Zimbabwe in Chennai, and the pitch there won’t allow Abhishek to play his free-flowing stroke. The Indian batter requires a batting surface to play his best game, and Chepauk is a different ground altogether.
• Tilak Varma could also have been dropped instead of Abhishek, but unlike him, India’s number 3 can rotate the strike, and is good at playing singles and doubles, a trait that India requires in Chennai.
• In place of Abhishek, India could go in with Sanju Samson, who will bring a different angle in India’s top order (right-hander), and will disrupt Zimbabwe’s plan as the Chevrons will aim to start the bowling with Sikandar Raza, and a right-handed Samson can easily take him down.

2) Axar Patel over Washington Sundar

India sprung a surprise as the Suryakumar Yadav-led side snubbed Axar Patel for the all-important match against South Africa, and instead, they went ahead with Washington Sundar. The move failed to deliver the goods as Sundar conceded 17 in the two overs that he bowled, and struggled with the bat (11 off 11).

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Sundar doesn’t instill confidence with his batting, and he is certainly not a wicket-taker in T20Is. Instead, the management showed swallow their ego, and bring back Axar Patel against Zimbabwe.

Axar is a big-game player for India in the T20Is, and he has more experience, a better bowling record, and better batting stats compared to Sundar. Unlike Sundar, who was used as a floater against the Proteas, Axar can be given that role as well.

Sundar is more defensive in his bowling approach, and instead of a bowler who is only looking to defend runs, India could go ahead with a wicket-taker, and a run-scorer in Axar.

Final verdict

Against Zimbabwe, India cannot go in with an unchanged XI. The team will play in Chennai, and the surface there will not allow India to go in with players who are struggling for runs. Two key changes have to be made by Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav-led management if the Men in Blue wish to beat Zimbabwe and stay alive in the tournament.

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