Ravi Shastri Drops Abhishek Sharma From India XI Vs England On One Condition

Abhishek Sharma gets support ahead of World Cup semi-final [Source: @Crex_live/X.com]

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has suggested to drop Abhishek Sharma from the semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 due to his lean patch. Shastri believes that only if Sharma is mentally strong, he should be allowed to play at the Wankhede on Thursday.

Abhishek, 25, entered the tournament with loads of expectations on his shoulders. However, the pressure got the better of him, as he has repeatedly failed to fire at the top.

Now, ahead of the big semi-final against England, his form is becoming a serious headache for Team India.

Ravi Shastri puts condition on Abhishek Sharma

Meanwhile, talking to ICC Review, former Indian cricketer and coach Ravi Shastri shared his views on whether Abhishek Sharma should be backed or dropped from the upcoming semi-final against England. Shastri believes form is not just technical but also mental.

Only the team management can assess whether Abhishek Sharma is mentally shaken. That assessment should come from conversations with the player, body language in training and intensity and clarity in the nets.

"Unless the team management realises that, mentally he's not there. If mentally, his mindset has taken a beating, it's for them to judge from the outside, in conversations with him, just seeing the way he's batting in the nets," Shastri said.

If Abhishek’s mindset is still strong, Shastri believes he should play the semi-final against England. And if not, only then should India consider a change.

Also Read - Yuvraj Singh Reprimands Abhishek Sharma Publicly

Shastri suggests the inclusion of Rinku Singh

That being said, if at all India chooses to drop Abhishek Sharma, Ravi Shastri believes adding Rinku Singh into the playing XI should be a no-brainer choice. He added that Ishan Kishan should be promoted as an opener alongside Sanju Samson in that scenario.

"If that's the case, then and only then will I think of putting Ishan Kishan up the order and then probably Rinku Singh bringing him, at the bottom. That could be the only change, but I would still persist with him because last time India played England, he had a terrific series against them,” he added. 

But, Shastri also said that dropping Abhishek Sharma should be the last resort because the young opener has a history of destroying England, including a 135 at the Wankhede Stadium, the very venue hosting the semi-final.

"I won't take that away at the Wankhede. He's done well in the past. He's got some big hundreds there and very quick hundreds. I'll persist with him because there's enough firepower in that batting."

Abhishek Sharma’s number so far

In 8 games so far, Abhishek Sharma has scored just 80 runs at a 13.33 average. He hit only one half-century against Zimbabwe in the Super 8 fixture of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

Now, with India set to face England in the second semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium on March 5, Abhishek’s form will be closely watched. This could be his moment of redemption, or he might slip further deep into this bad phase and risk losing his self-confidence.

Also Read - England Legend Reveals India's Major Weakness A Day Before T20 World Cup Semifinal