England series could be Abhishek Sharma’s last chance to secure Team India T20 spot, says Aakash Chopra

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has highlighted the upcoming T20I series against England as a crucial opportunity for left-handed all-rounder Abhishek Sharma to prove his consistency and secure his place in India’s T20I setup. The five-match series begins on Wednesday, with Abhishek expected to feature prominently in the Indian lineup.

Despite showcasing flashes of brilliance in his T20I career, including a half-century and a solid 36 in his last two outings, Abhishek faces stiff competition for the opening position from rising stars like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. With the abundance of talent in the Indian T20I squad, consistent performances are vital for the young Punjab batter to remain in contention.

Aakash Chopra, speaking on the Star Sports program Game Plan, emphasized the importance of this series for Abhishek. “His form has been up and down,” Chopra said. “In his second T20I, he scored a century against Zimbabwe, which showed a lot of promise. But potential needs to translate into consistent performance. This series might be his final opportunity to make a significant impact.”

In 12 T20Is, Abhishek has scored 256 runs at an average of 23.27 and an impressive strike rate of 171.81. His tally includes a century and a half-century, with his highest score being 100. However, he has crossed the 20-run mark in just three of his T20I innings, reflecting the inconsistency that Chopra referred to.

Abhishek’s domestic record, however, tells a different story. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), a premier T20 competition, he scored 255 runs in seven innings at an outstanding strike rate of 216.10 and an average of 42.50. His performances included a century (106*) and a half-century, underscoring his explosive capabilities as a T20 batter.

The Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), a one-day competition, further showcased Abhishek’s batting prowess. He accumulated 467 runs in eight matches at an average of 58.37 and a strike rate of 130.44, including a remarkable knock of 170 off just 96 balls against Saurashtra and three additional half-centuries.

Chopra likened Abhishek’s current situation to that of Sanju Samson, who made a name for himself with strong performances in limited opportunities. “These five matches are critical for Abhishek,” Chopra said. “Like Sanju has made his mark in recent games, Abhishek will need to do the same. Otherwise, players like Jaiswal will step in, and time might run out for him.”

Squads:

India Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Dhruv Jurel, Harshit Rana

England Squad: Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Jos Buttler(c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood, Brydon Carse, Jamie Smith, Rehan Ahmed.