When Markram Comes on to Bowl to Abhishek Sharma, He Does Not Need to Bludgeon From First Ball: Irfan Pathan

India face South Africa in the blockbuster Super 8 clash in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 in Ahmedabad today, aiming to extend their unbeaten streak in the tournament. Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Game Plan', Irfan Pathan analysed Abhishek Sharma's off-spin woes, Ishan Kishan's strong zone and Lungi Ngidi's pace variations.

"Abhishek Sharma is getting out to off-spinners. Against Pakistan and the Netherlands, off-spinners got him. The problem lies in his shot selection. His bat comes down from a high angle, and he is not looking to hit straight. He is trying to play across the wicket. That is getting him into trouble. He moves his front foot away to create room, but bowlers are not giving him room. They are bowling wide, not close to him. These are not drivable balls. These are balls you either take a single on or, if you hold your shape, you can hit one-bounce fours. That is what Salman Ali Agha and Aryan Dutt bowled to him. South Africa will do the same. His bat angle is coming across, which is natural to him. He does not need to change that. If he tries to change it now, it will be a mess. He has not scored runs. First thing first, get a single, get off the mark. Expect the spinner to come in, get to the other end, and target the fast bowlers. When Markram comes on to bowl to him, he does not need to bludgeon from first ball."

On Ishan Kishan’s form:

"Ishan Kishan is in the form of his life. He is playing the leg-side really well. He targets square-leg and fine-leg. When bowlers change their plans, he steps out and targets long-on and mid-on as well. In this T20 World Cup, bowlers have given Ishan the chance to play in his favourite leg-side zone. He does not target the off-side much. Pakistan, USA and Namibia all gave him deliveries he could hit on the leg-side. But against South Africa, things could change. Every batter has a go-to shot. If you bowl short to Rohit Sharma early, he will pull you and not spare you. Same with Ishan Kishan. If you give him leg-side deliveries at the start, it’s trouble. Against South Africa, I want to see what Kishan does when they bowl wide and make him play on the off-side early. Not saying he cannot play there. He has improved a lot, but only after getting set.”

On the threat Lungi Ngidi poses to India's batters:

"Lungi Ngidi bowls around 140 km/h and his slower ones are around 110 km/h. That is a 30 km difference, which is big. One thing you notice is that every delivery he bowls finishes near the stumps. But more important is his release. Look at his action. When he is about to finish, the batter has already made up his mind that the ball will be quick. There is no change in his action or arm speed. Then suddenly he delivers a slower ball. That is why he fools batters. They do not let the ball come to them, they push at it early. That is how he takes wickets with his slower balls. He is a big threat against Indian batters."

On how Hardik Pandya can counter Lungi Ngidi's variations:

"Hardik Pandya is multi-talented. He bowls with the new ball, in the middle overs, and at the death. With the bat, he can finish innings and also play the anchor role. He is irreplaceable. He will play a key role against South Africa. If you bowl a slower bouncer, he can wait and use his power. If you bowl full, he can take you to the cleaners. If bowlers don't hit the good length area and give him what he wants, he will punish them, like he did against the Netherlands, he waited for the slower one and hit it straight down the ground. I really hope when Lungi Ngidi bowls to Hardik Pandya, Hardik wins that battle. But he has to be careful with deliveries that are slightly fuller, not too short. He will need to wait a bit longer than he has against other bowlers so far."