 "IND vs ENG: India suffer body blow ahead of 2nd T20I against England")
India's opening batter Abhishek Sharma faced a potential injury scare ahead of the second T20I against England in Chennai. During a routine catching drill at the nets on Friday, the 24-year-old twisted his ankle, prompting immediate attention from the team physiotherapist. Sharma was seen limping as he made his way off the field and into the dressing room for further treatment. He spent over 30 minutes with the physiotherapist, opting not to bat during the nets session. Although the extent of the injury remains unclear, Abhishek's availability for the match on Saturday is uncertain. Abhishek's fiery 79 in 1st T20 vs ENG
Sharma had an impressive performance in the first T20I in Kolkata, where he scored a quickfire 79, helping India to a dominant seven-wicket victory. Should Abhishek be unavailable for the second match, India has options to replace him in the playing 11. Washington Sundar or Dhruv Jurel could come into the side, and Tilak Varma could be promoted to the opening slot alongside Sanju Samson. India is currently leading the five-match series 1-0 after their convincing win in the first T20I. ALSO READ: IND vs ENG: Suryakumar Yadav talks about captaining Team India in T20Is
Varun praises level of domestic cricket in India Meanwhile, Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy has praised the level of domestic cricket, particularly the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), calling it comparable to the standards of the IPL. Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Chakravarthy emphasized the importance of playing domestic cricket to improve T20 skills, noting the challenges posed by smaller grounds and the need for players to be more instinctive and sharp. Chakravarthy’s thoughts align with the views of India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who have both stressed the significance of domestic competitions in developing players’ skills.
Chakravarthy’s excellent performance in India’s win over England in the first T20I, where he took three wickets, showcased the benefits of domestic experience at the highest level.