“I even heard that Abhishek Sharma should be dropped” - Aakash Chopra opens up on India’s combination ahead of Zimbabwe clash

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has backed Abhishek Sharma to continue to be a part of the playing XI despite his inconsistent form in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.

Speaking exclusively on his YouTube channel, Chopra clarified that Sharma needs to be backed for the games against Zimbabwe and the West Indies to come back stronger, adding that it doesn’t take a long time for him to get back to his old rhythm. 

"There have been a lot of discussions about who should be played. I even heard that Abhishek should be dropped, and I am thinking that Abhishek's last four or five innings haven't been good, but he is still No. 1 in the T20I rankings, and there is a big gap between him and the second. So imagine how well he would have done in the last one-and-a-half years," Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"So don't leave him out now. It doesn't take long for the time to change. Of course, he is struggling a little at the moment, feeling pressure as well, and the teams are planning well against him, but I will still back him. Play Abhishek Sharma along with Ishan Kishan," he added.

Furthermore, Chopra reckoned that Sanju Samson should be slotted at the No.3 position, keeping the opening slots intact without touching them. Moreover, he added that if Sanju doesn’t come into the XI, Suryakumar Yadav should be slotted at No.3.

"Would you want to play a left-right combination? Would you want to put Sanju here? I would say don't do that. I am not against Sanju. If you have to play Sanju, play him at No. 3. The opening combination is going fine. So let it continue. You will feel slightly ashamed to send Ishan Kishan at No. 3. There is no sense in moving him down the order. I won't do that. I won't touch him," Chopra noted.

"If Sanju is playing, play him at No. 3, or else Surya, you must bat at No. 3. You can keep Tilak Varma at No. 4 and Hardik Pandya at No. 5. After that, you have Shivam Dube and Axar Patel. Axar Patel must play. Bring him back,” he concluded.

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