Will Abhishek Sharma play tonight for IND vs ENG in semi-final 2 of T20 World Cup 2026?

Questions continue to swirl around Abhishek Sharma’s place in the playing XI after a string of low scores.

The No.1 T20I batter in the world Abhishek Sharma has been in the spotlight- but this time because of his poor performances. There are not many chinks visible in India’s armour ahead of the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, where they will take on England at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, 5 February. But the opening combination has been the most discussed point.

A wake-up call for India came in the form of a crushing defeat to South Africa. But they managed to beat Zimbabwe and the West Indies to seal a place in the last four. Ahead of the crucial encounter on March 5, all eyes will be on India’s team selection- especially Abhisek Sharma.

Will Abhishek Sharma play IND vs ENG semi-final 2 of T20 World Cup 2026?

The selection of Abhishek Sharma has come under more scrutiny in recent times due to a tough tournament campaign so far. Coming into the tournament as the top-ranked T20I batter, he has not had the best of outings so far, with three ducks in six matches so far. Out of his 80 runs in the tournament so far, 55 came in a single match against Zimbabwe. 

While there have been concerns that the selection of Abhishek could affect team balance with the likes of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan in good form, the team is sticking with him. India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has put an end to the speculation regarding the place of Abhishek in the playing XI.

Morkel made an interesting comparison with Sanju Samson, who recently came out of a prolonged drought of poor performance and turned into a match-winner.

“No, I think just sometimes this game can be hard on you, cruel on you. (It is a) similar situation that Sanju (Samson) found himself in, that, in your career, you’re going to find moments like this,” India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel, who addressed the media on the eve of the semifinal.

“This is good growth (opportunity); it’s good learning for him. For a young guy finding his feet in international cricket, this will only help him down the line in Indian cricket.” The South African said.

Moreover, it was exactly a year ago when Abhishek had announced his arrival at the Wankhede Stadium here in T20 Internationals, smashing an England attack, which had some of those bowlers he would face in the semifinal, for 13 sixes and seven fours in a 54-ball 135.

“It’s a fresh page for him tomorrow (on Thursday), (an) opportunity to go and do well. (He had) scored a hundred here against England not too long ago,” Morkel recalled Abhisek Sharma’s knock against England last year.

“So for him, it’s just (about) tapping into those little videos and looking at his feel-good moments and building a blueprint and knowing (that) he’s starting on zero tomorrow. It’s a new opportunity for him,” he added.

With Abhishek Sharma returning to his happy hunting ground, the fans will hope to see the earlier version of the explosive batter that helped him reach the top.

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