India, Feb. 21 -- India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday fired back at critics who questioned Abhishek Sharma's form after the opener registered three consecutive ducks to start his T20 World Cup campaign. Speaking ahead of the Super 8 clash against South Africa in Ahmedabad, Suryakumar also ruled out the possibility of Abhishek being replaced by Sanju Samson, even if the struggles continue.

The left-hander has endured a forgettable start, yet to open his account after facing eight deliveries across three matches. In between, he missed the group-stage fixture against Namibia due to a stomach infection.

However, Suryakumar's remarks underlined the team management's backing for Abhishek, who had taken T20I cricket by storm last year. ...