"Yashasvi Jaiswal won't let him breathe" - Aakash Chopra on the 'immense pressure' on Abhishek Sharma heading into IND vs ENG 2025 T20Is
Former player Aakash Chopra has highlighted the significance of India's T20I series against England for Abhishek Sharma. He pointed out that the Punjab opener might have to make way for Yashasvi Jaiswal if he is not among the runs.
India will square off against England in a five-match T20I series, with the first game to be played in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22. While Abhishek is part of the 15-member Indian squad for the series, Jaiswal hasn't been picked.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener noted that Jaiswal is waiting in the wings to take Abhishek's spot.
"Abhishek Sharma has been given a vote of confidence, which I liked, as he has been kept with the team. However, he was hanging by a thin thread. Let's be fair, Yashasvi Jaiswal won't let him breathe. He is breathing down his neck and it's absolutely right," he said (6:25).
Chopra questioned whether Jaiswal should have been picked for the T20Is against England as he is unlikely to get a chance in the ODIs against the same opponents.
"He is also a left-hander who plays similarly. He is a three-format player and is in form currently. After some time, you might start thinking as an Indian fan that he won't get a chance in ODIs as Shubman (Gill) and Rohit (Sharma) will open, and then what cricket would he have played when he goes for the Champions Trophy?" he observed.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Abhishek needs to grab his chances, which he hasn't done thus.
"Only Ranji Trophy, that's not a great story. If you see from that angle, this is a massive opportunity for Abhishek. He hasn't made the most of his opportunities thus far. The century he scored in Zimbabwe was excellent. Then he played one good knock in South Africa," Chopra elaborated.
Abhishek Sharma has aggregated 256 runs at an average of 23.27 in 11 T20I innings. On the other hand, Yashasvi Jaiswal has amassed 723 runs at a much better average of 36.15 in 22 T20I innings.
"Short balls are troubling him" - Aakash Chopra on Abhishek Sharma
![Abhishek Sharma has fallen prey to short balls a few times. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/01/938e4-17375230819657-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the England seamers would try and take advantage of Abhishek Sharma's issues against the short ball.
"Short balls are troubling him and short bowling will be done to him here also. Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson are there, and they are all going to bowl bouncers. Jamie Overton is also a tall bowler. So all of them will try to trouble you with short balls. That's when I feel he will have to find a different way," he said (7:20).
While opining that Abhishek might get to play all five games against England, the analyst added that the youngster would be under immense pressure.
"The team's philosophy has become that they will hit. However, if you have two bad innings while trying to hit, the story will change completely. It seems like Abhishek might get all five games as the selectors haven't picked a third opener. However, it doesn't take time for things to change in Indian cricket these days. So there will be immense pressure on Abhishek Sharma," Chopra observed.
Certain reports suggest Abhishek Sharma might not be a part of India's playing XI for the first T20I against England. While Tilak Varma is expected to open with Sanju Samson in such a scenario, Nitish Kumar Reddy and either Washington Sundar or Ravi Bishnoi would be part of the playing XI.