'Abhishek will definitely do well at Wankhede' - Former CSK batter on India’s playing XI vs England in T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final

Abhishek Sharma has only scored one fifty from six matches in the ongoing T20 World Cup. However, former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Subramaniam Badrinath has backed him to do well in the upcoming semi-final against England on Thursday, March 5.

Badrinath urged the Indian team management to refrain from making changes to the playing XI for the semi-final. He opined that Abhishek will come good at the Wankhede Stadium, which is the venue for the knockout fixture, as it is a ground where a lot of sixes are hit in most games.

Badrinath spoke about reports suggesting that Abhishek could make way for Rinku Singh, while Kuldeep Yadav could return in place of Varun Chakavarthy. However, the cricketer-turned-expert stated that India should stick to the same team that defeated the West Indies in their last game.

"My suggestion to the Indian team would be not to make any changes to the 11. Abhishek will definitely do well at the Wankhede as it's a great six-hitting ground. They should also continue trusting Varun Chakaravarthy, as he has been a huge reason for India advancing this far in the tournament. So I expect no changes to the 11," Badrinath said in an Instagram video.

"I've been hearing things like drop Abhishek and bring in Rinku Singh. Make Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson open. Likewise, drop Varun Chakaravarthy and bring in Kuldeep Yadav, as good wrist spinners have done well at the Wankhede stadium, which is another move I've been hearing," he added.

Abhishek has had a disappointing campaign so far. The top-ranked batter in T20I cricket has only managed 80 in six games. He is averaging a paltry 13.33. On the other hand, Varun Chakaravarthy hit the ground running in the T20 World Cup, bagging nine wickets across the first four games. However, in the last three matches, he has only picked up three wickets at an economy rate of 10.17.