As India transitions from a flawless group stage to more competitive Super 8s, the team management faces a familiar selection headache at the top of the order. While India arrived in Ahmedabad with an unbeaten record, the form of opener Abhishek Sharma, who has registered three consecutive ducks, has sparked a debate: is it time for Sanju Samson to reclaim his spot?

The Case for Abhishek Sharma

Despite a "statistically unprecedented" slump for a player of his caliber, Abhishek Sharma remains the world’s top-ranked T20I batter for a reason. His record of 1,297 runs at a staggering strike rate of 192.43 makes him the ultimate high-risk, high-reward asset for Gautam Gambhir’s aggressive batting template.

Assistant coach Morne Morkel made it clear on Friday that the management is backing their young opener to come good. "Abhishek is a world-class player," Morkel told reporters at the Narendra Modi Stadium. "It’s just a matter of getting that start and getting his innings going. We’re going through a very important phase of the World Cup now, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to deliver."

While Sharma was seen bowling for nearly two and a half hours in the nets, he only padded up late in the session, largely facing net bowlers, suggesting the team is working on his rhythm rather than considering an immediate axe.

Sanju Samson's Waiting Game and Net Session Hints

Sanju Samson, who played a quickfire 22 off 8 balls against Namibia when Abhishek was sidelined with illness, has been knocking on the door. During Friday’s marathon training session, Samson batted for nearly two hours alongside Ishan Kishan, facing premier pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.

However, tactically, if Samson were to return, the victim might not be Abhishek, but Tilak Varma.

With South Africa expected to field left-arm spinners like Keshav Maharaj and George Linde on a black-soil Ahmedabad pitch, Tilak’s underwhelming strike rate of 120.45 in this tournament has come under scrutiny.

Samson, a specialist against both pace and spin with a proven track record at number three in the IPL, offers a more explosive alternative if the top order continues to stagnate.

Washington Sundar vs Axar Patel Puzzle

The bowling department presents its own intrigue. Axar Patel was rested for the Netherlands fixture to give Washington Sundar a taste of match action following his recovery from a knee injury.

Sundar passed that test with "flying colors," and his off-spin provides a direct tactical counter to South Africa’s left-handed trio of Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, and David Miller.

However, Axar remains India's premier "spin-basher" and offers superior batting depth at number eight. Unless the team decides to drop a pacer (like Arshdeep Singh, as suggested by some experts) to fit in both, Axar is widely expected to return for the Super 8 opener. Morkel noted that having both fit gives India "a lot more options in terms of combinations," but the safety net of Axar’s all-round skills usually prevails in must-win scenarios.

Predicted India Playing XI vs South Africa

Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

Bench: Sanju Samson (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar.