Ravi Shastri wants to drop Abhishek Sharma against England, but on one condition

Former Team India coach and commentator Ravi Shastri has stated that the Indian team management, headed by Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav, needs to take a call on the dashing opening batter Abhishek Sharma’s spot in the XI for the much-awaited semi-final against England based on where he is mentally.

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Speaking exclusively to the ICC, Shastri went on to add that he would bring Ishan Kishan to open the innings if Abhishek Sharma misses out. Moreover, this would also open a slot for Rinku Singh in the middle order.

For the unversed, Sharma is having a mediocre tournament, managing to score only 95 runs from four innings at an average of 31.66 and a strike rate of 118.75 with a half-century against Zimbabwe.

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

"If that is 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," Shastri said.

Furthermore, Shastri also strolled down memory lane to the last time Abhishek played England at Wankhede last year, where he scored a 54-ball 135, the highest T20I score by an Indian, which could play a crucial role in the semi-final.

"I would not take that away at the Wankhede. He has done well in the past. He's got some big hundreds there and very quick hundreds. I will persist with him because there is enough firepower in that batting," he concluded.

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