IND vs ENG Semifinal match: of Mumbai Wankhede Stadium Today on March 5, the big semi-final of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is to be played, where India and England will face each other. The pressure of the knockout match is on both the teams, but special attention is focused on one player of the Indian team, whose name is Abhishek Sharma. His bat has not played much in recent matches. His scores in the last few matches have been 0, 0, 0, 15, 55 and 10. In such a big match like the semi-finals, the question is arising whether the team will keep him in the playing eleven and what will be expected from him.
The specialty of T20 cricket is that a single innings can change the direction of the entire match. A ground like Wankhede, where short boundaries and fast outfields are beneficial for aggressive batsmen, Abhishek Sharma Like strikers can change the course of the match at any time. The Indian team management is also not ignoring this possibility. Bowling coach Morne Morkel has publicly supported Abhishek before the semi-finals. This clearly indicates that the team is still relying on his ‘impact’.
That innings at Wankhede which England cannot forget
- On 2 February 2025, the last match of the T20 series between India and England was played on this ground. In that match, Abhishek Sharma played such an innings which changed the face of the match.
- Abhishek had scored 135 runs in just 54 balls, which included 7 fours and 13 sixes. Thanks to his explosive batting, India made a huge score of 247/9 and England suffered a crushing defeat by 150 runs.
- That day the England bowlers could not stick to their plan. Fields had to be changed continuously and the bowling line-length also kept deteriorating.
- Once Abhishek got into rhythm, complete control of the match went to India.
What does India need from him in the semi-finals?
The Indian team does not expect an innings of 135 runs from him today. Actually his role is to provide a fast start in the powerplay. If Abhishek scores fast runs in the first six overs, then the strategy of England bowlers may change. It could be 30 runs in 15 balls or 40-45 runs in 25 balls. In knockout matches, such short but sharp innings often decide the course of the match.
This is the reason why even though Abhishek Sharma is under the scanner at this time, with one right shot and one right innings, he can change the story of the semi-finals.
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