Former India cricketer turned commentator Saba Karim has supported star India opener Abhishek Sharma to return to form in the T20 World Cup Super 8 match against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, February 22 as well. After getting out for three consecutive ducks, Karim wants him to break the pattern by overcoming the opposition plans as well.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo ahead of the Super 8 match, Saba Karim said: “I think that will be the matchup (Abhishek and Kishan vs Markram) that too around the stumps, especially the hard lengths where the ball comes in because Abhishek Sharma, at this time, is trying to play across the line. As I said, play with the straight bat and rotate the strike; it doesn’t matter. A little patience will benefit Abhishek Sharma because the opposition are well aware of his preparations, not just Abhishek but all players. Now, Abhishek needs to break that pattern. He’s now aware that if he has to play long-term and return to form, then he has to prepare against such bowling attacks.”
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“Abhishek Sharma is going through a phase that disturbs a lot of players. It will be a big test for Abhishek. If he takes time and plays with a straight bat and let’s go of the pressure of scoring at 200-225 strike rates from the first ball. Then there will be no problem. There shouldn’t be any change in approach, but you can tweak your game to catch up with his batting style. If he can play one or two overs well, then he can easily compensate,” Karim added.
However, Saba Karim further asked India not to be complacent against South Africa and urged them to do well in their T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash.
“I don’t think the Indian team is overconfident. Yes, there is a dip with big teams in terms of performance. It’s not that we’ve lost, but in crucial times, we should’ve performed better, which we didn’t do. It’s good that our bowling attack is strong. We covered well and won the matches by bigger margins. Now, India need to show their peak performance; otherwise, it’ll be too late,” Saba Karim concluded.
