Former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt addressed Abhishek Sharma’s absence from the current T20I series between India and Sri Lanka. He attributed the omission to the team’s depth, explaining that players like Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad are sidelined due to the strong competition for spots.
India is engaged in a three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka. With the retirement of key players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the team is undergoing a transition and offering opportunities to younger players in this series.
Abhishek Sharma’s exclusion from the T20Is against Sri Lanka was notable given his recent performances. He had made an impressive debut during the T20I series against Zimbabwe, where he initially scored a duck but quickly redeemed himself with a powerful century. Sharma ended the series with 124 runs and also took 2 wickets, playing a significant role in India’s victory.
Despite these strong performances, Sharma has not been included in the Sri Lanka series due to the selection of other players. Salman Butt noted that India now effectively has 2-3 competitive teams, a result of their well-established cricketing infrastructure. He elaborated on this in a video on his YouTube channel.
“Look, this is the depth. The bench strength of India. The depth of the players. Ruturaj Gaikwad is not there. KL Rahul is not in this team. Sanju Samson is not in this team. Bumrah is out of this team. He has been given rest. A while ago, it was said that India can have 2-3 teams. They are almost there. Because their pathway cricket is so strong.”
“Their A-team calendar is huge. Domestic cricket is ensured, everyone has to play. Players will be made. I think 2-3 teams in the world have become below par. And India have built 2-3 teams strong teams. And if the world still does not understand that this is the only cricketing country which plays only one league.”
There is only one team which is constantly growing – Salman Butt
Salman Butt further highlighted how India is producing the highest quality players, and they are the only team that is growing. He added that even Australian cricket is declining. He elaborated:
“If you still do not understand how their players are coming, then what happened to your players? Then only God can explain it to you. It is not a matter of a person’s capacity. It is evident in front of you that why India has the highest quality of players coming through. Even Australia does not have similar players.
“Australia is not the same as before. No team is the same as before. There is only one team which is constantly growing. Others have a slow decline. Others have a fast decline. And some are a little steady,” he concluded.
