Team India will play against West Indies within the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 game in Kolkata, where the 2 left-handers, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, are expected to do well, as this can be a virtual quarterfinal clash on Sunday.
Nevertheless, former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin shared how Abhishek Sharma’s struggle against off-spinners and his lack of shots on the leg side could trouble him against West Indies off-spinner Roston Chase as well.
“Abhishek goes at a strike rate of only 85 against off-spin because off-spinners have tended to cramp him on the pads. He has no shots on the leg side against off-spin,” said R Ashwin on his YouTube channel. “He has also not hit them down the bottom because each time he has stepped out, the bowlers have gone full on his pads. Off-spinners are daring him to hit on the leg side, and he doesn’t have shots there.”
Nevertheless, Abhishek Sharma began with three back-to-back geese before scoring a mere 15 runs against South Africa. He finally scored his maiden T20 World Cup fifty against Zimbabwe, whereas Ishan Kishan is Team India’s highest run-getter at this World Cup as well. He hit two fifties before being demoted to No. 3 as well.
“Abhishek’s favourite shot is inside out over covers” – R Ashwin
“Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan are left-handers but of various kinds. (Roston) Chase has to approach it in a different way, bowling to each,” again said R Ashwin. “Abhishek’s favourite shot is inside out over covers. He doesn’t have a sweep shot to access the square leg boundary, and likewise lacks scoring options within the long on and deep midwicket region. In case you bowl on the legs to Ishan Kishan, he also doesn’t have shots to access the square leg region. But what he does is step down and smash the ball straight.”
Speaking on the plans against Abhishek Sharma and Kishan, Ashwin said, “Abhishek Sharma will smash the off-spinner if he bowls outside off stump. But for Kishan, if the off-spinner bowls it outside off stump, he tries to smash it to the long on or midwicket region and skies it within the air. So you’ll be able to’t just bowl off-spin with the identical plan against each simply because they’re left-handers. Each has a unique approach, and if the bowler doesn’t comprehend it, they may complement each other. Ishan Kishan needs to be challenged outside off stump and Abhishek Sharma down leg side.”
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