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Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has opened up on South Africa’s plan to counter Abhishek Sharma in the ongoing T20I series. Pathan believes South Africa will bowl stump-to-stump to the left-hander instead of giving him any room.
The No. 1 T20I batter, known to get off the blocks quickly, hasn’t set the series on fire so far. Having fallen to Lutho Sipamla after an outstanding catch by Marco Jansen in the series-opener for 17, Abhishek fell for the same total in the second match on Thursday. Jansen got him to nick off by bowling an outswinger in the second over.
Speaking in a recent video on his YouTube channel ‘Irfan Pathan,’ the 41-year-old observed that in the second match, Abhishek got into an awkward position against Jansen, who generates extra bounce off his bowling.
“Abhishek Sharma is no doubt the No.1 T20I batter and plays fearlessly. He had made only nine runs in the powerplay of the previous game. In this match, Abhishek had made nine runs in the first over but got out for 17 again. It felt his other leg was towards the leg stump when he got out. So, he got into an awkward position,” Pathan said.
“Marco Jansen also gets that bounce and batters do find themselves in trouble. The plan is simple in front of Abhishek Sharma – to bowl far and a stump-to-stump line to avoid giving him room. I want to see how he counters this,” he added.
Pathan reckoned Abhishek must face a similar type of bowling in the nets and take some time before playing the big shots.
“Will he take some time? I don’t think that’s his style of play. Will he prepare differently? I feel he should face that type of bowling in the nets. He will either get deliveries with plenty of variations or if the new ball is swinging, it will be on a stump-to-stump line. South Africa have shown they don’t want to give him room. He could be in trouble again due to the bounce and swing,” he continued.
Abhishek is still India’s highest run-getter in T20Is in 2025, mustering 790 runs in 19 matches at 43.88 alongside a strong strike rate of 195.06.
“He should be frozen at No. 3” – Irfan Pathan on India skipper
Reflecting on India’s batting-order changes in the second T20I, Pathan said they need stability and urged the management to keep Suryakumar Yadav at No. 3. He feels Suryakumar should bat at No. 3 to regain the much-needed form before the World Cup in February.
“Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma are currently opening the innings. If Gill doesn’t score runs even moving forward, Sanju Samson could come into the mix. India need that stability – whether it’s Samson or Gill. Some stability is also required in that No.3 and No.4 because Suryakumar Yadav is short of runs,” Pathan said.
He continued:
“If he is not scoring, Suryakumar should bat at No.3. It’s good for him and the team. If he is in form, it will do him a world of good, especially keeping in mind the World Cup. He should be frozen at No.3 and has made plenty of runs in that position.”
“If the conditions are good for seam bowling and an in-form batter is required, it’s a different thing. But a fixed batting spot for him is a must. Dharamsala could be another high-scoring venue and he must face as much deliveries as possible. Top 4 position must be locked,” he concluded.
Although India won the first T20I by 101 runs, South Africa bounced back to win the second by 51 runs and level the five-match series 1-1.
Edited by Parag Jain
