'I will think of putting Ishan Kishan up the order' - ODI World Cup winner on India’s playing XI for semi-final vs England

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri opined that he would make one change to India's playing XI for the second semi-final encounter against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, March 5.

Shastri said that he would have Ishan Kishan opening the batting along with Sanju Samson and bring Rinku Singh back in the playing XI in place of the out-of-form Abhishek Sharma. The former India all-rounder stressed that Abhishek's string of low scores has taken a mental toll and urged the team management to take a wise call ahead of the knockout fixture.

“Unless the team management realises that, mentally he's not there. If mentally, his mindset has taken a beating, it's for them to judge from the outside, in conversations with him, just seeing the way he's batting in the nets," Shastri said while speaking to the ICC review.

“If that's the case, then and only then will I think of putting Ishan Kishan up the order, and then probably Rinku Singh bringing him, at the bottom. That could be the only change, but I would still persist with him because last time India played England, he had a terrific series against them," he added.

Abhishek has only managed 80 runs in six innings at an average of 13.13 and a strike rate of 131.15. On the other hand, Kishan has amassed 224 runs in seven innings at an average of 32 and a strike rate of 185.13. The Jharkhand captain has scored two half-centuries in the tournament so far and both came when he was opening the batting. However, since Sanju Samson's return to the playing XI, Kishan has dropped down to No. 3.

Abhishek did have a memorable series against England last year, and in the fifth T20I, played at the Wankhede Stadium, he slammed 135 runs off just 54 balls. When reminded about that remarkable innings, Shastri said that his decision was based only on current form and India's explosiveness with the bat.

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“I won't take that away at the Wankhede. He's done well in the past. He's got some big hundreds there and very quick hundreds. I'll persist with him because there's enough firepower in that batting," Shastri mentioned.