Lakshmipathy Balaji opined that the Indian team is over-reliant on Abhishek Sharma, as the left-handed opening batter can provide explosive starts at the top of the order. While Ishan Kishan has done well since his international comeback against New Zealand, Balaji noted that he hasn't played too many games yet.
In India's first game in the 2026 T20 World Cup, Abhishek got out for a golden duck against the USA. The Men in Blue subsequently suffered a batting collapse. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav had
to play a crucial knock to resurrect the ship. India eventually won the match by 29 runs to start the campaign on a high.
Abhishek was caught in the deep on the off-side against the USA. Balaji said that teams are stacking up the off-side field against the Punjab batter, and it is time for him to show a bit of game awareness and respect the opposition bowlers to come up trumps.
"The start he provides is important. Though Ishan Kishan is playing well, he has come back only recently. So Abhishek Sharma still doesn't have a set opening partner who can take over when he falls. The over-reliance on Abhishek Sharma is clear. India are struggling when he gets out early," he said (via Star Sports).
"Teams are starting to set fields square on the offside for him. So he has to bring some game awareness to the forefront. There is no doubt about his shot-making ability, but he should respect the bowlers and the conditions in the initial phase. So if he can learn that, it'll massively benefit India," the former right-arm pacer added.
India will return to action on Thursday, February 12, as they take on a spirited Namibia side, led by Gerhard Erasmus. The defending champions will look to entertain the fans who are expected to fill the Arun Jaitley Stadium to the rafters. This is going to be India's last game before Sunday's much-awaited clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.
