Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has expressed that India’s current squad might feel the absence of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ahead of the high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 encounter between India and South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Abhishek Sharma has struggled in the T20 World Cup, despite entering the marquee event in great form. Citing the same example, the former middle-order batter reckoned that Kohli and Rohit’s absence is evident in Team India. The duo bid farewell to the T20Is after winning the T20 World Cup 2024 in West Indies and USA. Kaif feels that their experience could have been a valuable asset for someone like Abhishek.
“When Abhishek is not playing well, like at the moment, you feel the absence of players like Virat and Rohit in the team. When Virat was playing, he would talk to the other batters, Rohit also. They have played a lot and seen a lot. It is always an advantage to juniors to have such players. The mental stage that Abhishek is in right now, having someone like Virat and Rohit, would be advantageous to youngsters. Abhishek would have got a lot of guidance if they were there,” he said on his YouTube channel.
The No. 1 ranked T20I batter, Abhishek, has failed to score a run so far in the competition, registering three consecutive ducks. The former Under-19 World Cup winning captain recalled how Virat Kohli came back strongly in the finale of the 2024 World Cup despite having a horrific group-stage performance.
“Virat had a strike rate of 150 in the IPL and tried to play the same way in the 2024 World Cup but it did not work for him. The pitches were different. In the final, he changed his game a lot late, but he did go back to being his old self, valuing his wicket. He also changed his game. So, if a great batter can do that, the time has come for Abhishek to fine-tune as well. You cannot play at your own pace, as it has not worked out for you here,” he concluded.
The Indian team is included in Group 1 in the Super 8 stage, along with South Africa, Zimbabwe, and West Indies. England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Pakistan form Group 2.
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