India is all set to take on Pakistan in a high voltage Group A clash in Colombo. Gautam Gambhir has made a few changes to his lineup to face Pakistan with Sanju Samson being a notable absentee. Samson misses out on his important clash as Abhishek Sharma is ready and match fit. Another notable change is that Kuldeep Yadav has replaced Arshdeep Singh in the bowling lineup.
Abhishek Sharma returns
India will rejoice the arrival of Abhishek Sharma back into the lineup after the star batsman missed the last game with a stomach infection. The Southpaw will bring in a lot of aggression into the top order and will complement Ishan Kishan really well as the opening pair will look to destroy Pakistan's bowling unit.
Sanju Samson has not impressed Gautam Gambhir and co with his recent performances in the build up to the World Cup. He was given a chance in the last game during Abhishek’s absence, but he failed to capitalize on it. Although he scored a quickfire 22 off just 8 balls, he failed to make an impact on the game as India struggled against Namibia.
Inconsistency has always been an issue with Sanju Samson. Be it international cricket or the IPL, the former Rajasthan Royals’ skipper has found it tough to maintain a series of good performances. With Abhishek raring to go, Samson’s omission from the starting XI is not at all surprising given the type of performances he has given so far.
India vs Pakistan is more than just a normal fixture. It’s more than just two points or emotions. This game carries a lot of significance for the people on both sides of the border and therefore, the team management did not opt to use Sanju Samson in such a high stake and high pressure fixture.
