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Irfan Pathan Worries About Abhishek Sharma's Form Before T20 WC Semi-Final

Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has raised concerns about Abhishek Sharma's batting form, pointing out a technical issue with his weight transfer. Pathan also emphasized that Suryakumar Yadav needs to convert his starts into substantial scores against top teams. India secured a five-wicket victory over the West Indies, with key contributions from Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma during the chase. The team now prepares to face England in the T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai.

Key Points: Pathan on Sharma's Form, India's T20 WC Semi vs England

  • Pathan notes Sharma's technical flaw
  • Highlights Suryakumar's need for big scores
  • India beat WI by 5 wickets
  • Semi-final vs England on Thursday
2 min read

"One concern is Abhishek Sharma's form": Irfan Pathan ahead of T20 WC semi-final clash with England

Irfan Pathan flags Abhishek Sharma's technical flaw, discusses Suryakumar Yadav's form ahead of India's T20 World Cup semi-final against England.

"One concern is Abhishek Sharma's form again... his body weight was falling backwards. - Irfan Pathan"

New Delhi, March 2

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed concerns over Abhishek Sharma's batting form after the right-handed batter managed just 10 runs off 11 balls against the West Indies in India's latest match. Sharma had impressed earlier in the tournament with a half-century against Zimbabwe, but Pathan believes technical adjustments are needed.

"One concern is Abhishek Sharma's form again. After scoring that fifty, it felt like he would continue making runs, but when he went for that shot, his back knee was bent too much, and his body weight was falling backwards. Ideally, more weight should have been on the front foot, as that suits him better. He will need to pay attention to that," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

In the match, India won the toss and opted to field first. West Indies got off to a strong start with Roston Chase (40 off 25 balls) and skipper Shai Hope (32 off 33 balls) putting together a 68-run opening partnership. However, the visitors slumped to 119/4 in 14.1 overs despite a fiery cameo from Shimron Hetmyer (27 off 12 balls).

Jason Holder (37* in 22 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (34* in 19 balls) revived the innings with a 76-run stand in 35 balls, helping the West Indies post a total of 195/4 in the 20 overs. Jasprit Bumrah led India's bowling attack with figures of 2/36, while Varun Chakaravarthy and Hardik Pandya conceded 40 runs each in their four-over spells.

During India's chase, the team slipped to 41/2 in the powerplay. A 58-run stand between Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav (18) steadied the innings, before contributions from Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma (27 off 15 balls), Hardik Pandya (17), and Shivam Dube (8*) guided India to a five-wicket victory.

Speaking about Suryakumar Yadav, Pathan highlighted the need for the batter to convert starts into big innings. "Suryakumar will need to score runs against bigger teams, and that is something he must keep in mind," he said. Yadav is the leading run-scorer for India in the tournament, amassing 231 runs in seven innings, though he has struggled to produce a substantial knock since his unbeaten 84 against the USA.

India will now face England in the semi-finals at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Thursday.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
It's a bit harsh to single out Abhishek after one low score. He got a fifty earlier! The whole middle order seemed shaky. The real concern for me is the bowling at the death - 76 runs in 35 balls is too many.
A
Ananya R
Pathan's analysis is always so detailed. The point about body weight falling backwards makes sense. Young players need this guidance. Fingers crossed Abhishek makes the adjustment. Semi-final at Wankhede will be epic!
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Vikram M
Why is everyone so worried? We won the match! This is tournament cricket, form fluctuates. The team has shown great character. Let's back our boys instead of dissecting every failure. Jai Hind!
K
Karthik V
Suryakumar Yadav's point is more critical, in my opinion. He's our star batter but needs a big one in the knockouts. We can't rely only on Bumrah with the ball. England in Mumbai will be a massive challenge.
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Priya S
Respectfully, while Irfan Pathan's insights are valuable, I feel we sometimes over-analyze. The player knows his game best. Constant public scrutiny can add pressure. Let's trust the process and the team management.

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