Ravi Shastri's stern take on Abhishek Sharma's place in India's XI for semis vs England: ‘Then probably Rinku…’

Throwing his weight behind continuity while leaving room for a late rethink, Shastri said the call ultimately rests on the team management’s reading of the player’s mental space. Shastri stressed that any change at the top should only come if there are visible signs of a dip in confidence, hinting that alternatives remain on the table if concerns persist.

"Unless the team management realises that, mentally he's not there. If mentally, his mindset has taken a beating, it's for them to judge from the outside, in conversations with him, just seeing the way he's batting in the nets," Shastri said on ICC Review.

Meanwhile, he suggested that if Team India has to take the bold step of dropping him, then Rinku Singh should replace him in the lower-middle order, and Ishan Kishan should open the innings with Sanju Samson.

"If that's the case, then and only then will I think of putting Ishan Kishan up the order and then probably Rinku Singh bringing him, at the bottom,” he added.

“That could be the only change, but I would still persist with him because last time India played England, he had a terrific series against them. I won't take that away at the Wankhede,” Shastri said. “He's done well in the past. He's got some big hundreds there and very quick hundreds. I'll persist with him because there's enough firepower in that batting," he added.

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