Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said that the Indian team, after its 76-run loss to South Africa, has been discussing Sanju Samson’s inclusion in the playing XI to break the left-heavy top-order (Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma).

“There can be changes, yes. It goes without saying that we discussed [team combination]. The opposition is bowling off-spin because our openers and No. 3 are lefties. I don’t think that there is any problem there either. But because we lost the last game and we have lost a wicket in the first over [often], any team would think [along those lines],” Kotak said on Wednesday (February 25, 2026), on the eve of India’s ICC T20 World Cup Super Eight game against Zimbabwe at the MAC Stadium.

On Abhishek’s recent rut, the 53-year-old said: “I never liked overthinking about one individual as we are playing with two all-rounders and six batters.”

When asked if there was panic in the ranks, Kotak was quick to point out India’s superb record in T20Is.

“There is no tension of Tilak or Abhishek, or even of us losing one match. We shouldn’t analyse that [SA loss] too much,” he said. “All the matches are must-win for us. If you want to go and win the World Cup, you expect to beat all the sides you play.”

Stick to your game

On the Men in Blue’s batting approach, Kotak added: “In T20s, if you worry too much about temperament and not play your shots freely, there will be other [problems]. Only if you lose a couple of wickets, you have to try and play normal cricket for the next six to eight balls.”

Kotak said that Rinku Singh, who missed Tuesday’s (February 24, 2026) practice, will reach Chennai on the eve of the match. “Rinku’s father wasn’t well, so he went back. I think he is coming back this evening [February 25, 2026]”.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak threw his weight behind swashbuckling opener Abhishek Sharma, who finds himself under the cosh after failing to open his account in his first two outings in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

While there are claims about Abhishek’s vulnerability on the off-side, Kotak said that getting into the minutiae with the 25-year-old would be counterproductive.

“We don’t overanalyse unnecessarily. Sometimes, you only start making more assumptions than the opposition. He has his plans sorted,” the former Saurashtra batter explained on the eve of the match against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

That Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson had been planning for three days how to dismiss Abhishek was a feather in the Indian batter’s cap, according to Kotak.

“Credit to Abhishek that they are so concerned about him. They could have planned to get him out early, but I don’t think they could have planned that he would get out at mid-on,” he quipped.

Pakistan had prepared for the threat of Abhishek, but Ishan Kishan came out of the syllabus to hammer Salman Agha’s men into submission.

Kishan, returning to the National set-up after more than two years in the wilderness, has undergone a stunning career rejuvenation following a tough period when he lost his BCCI central contract.

“He is not someone who cares too much about things, which the T20 game requires. He is very talented because he can play all around the ground, so he is very difficult to restrict if you don’t get him out,” Kotak said.

The coach also defended Tilak Varma’s 24-ball 25 vigil, during which the southpaw looked tentative against the Pakistan spinners.

“Tilak played exactly the way the team wanted. Considering the wicket, we were more focused on building partnerships and getting to the par score, around 160”.