Two hours into India’s main net session ahead of the T20 World Cup semi-final, Abhishek Sharma walked out to bat at the Wankhede Stadium with clear intent and fond memories of the venue. It was at this very ground a year ago that Abhishek had blazed his way to a 54-ball 135 against England, the same opposition India will face in Thursday’s high-stakes clash. The left-hander broke his lean run in the tournament with a 55 against Zimbabwe, but he is yet to hit the explosive heights that define his game. After a brief bowling stint, Abhishek padded up under the watchful eye of batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. Following Kotak’s instructions to the net bowlers, he began by facing off-spin — an area that has troubled him, particularly deliveries turning away from him. A leg-spinner operated in tandem, while Arshdeep Singh also tested him with pace. To simulate more off-spin, Tilak Varma rolled his arm over after completing a lengthy batting stint of his own. Full squad in attendance All 15 squad members attended the session, which was pushed back by an hour due to a lunar eclipse. The players appeared relaxed, with head coach Gautam Gambhir joining the warm-up drills. The pitch, two days out from the semi-final, drew significant attention. It had a noticeable grass covering, though it is expected to be trimmed considerably before match day. Among the highlights of the session were a series of toe-crushing yorkers from Arshdeep, who looked sharp in rhythm. All-rounder Hardik Pandya focused on range-hitting, batting for over two hours. Tilak and Ishan Kishan also spent extended time in the nets, facing a balanced mix of pace and spin. Tilak practised slog sweeps against Kuldeep Yadav and cleared the straight boundary off Varun Chakaravarthy. Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2026 breaks digital records across ICC platforms Lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah opted for a focused spot-bowling session as he fine-tuned preparations for the knockout fixture. India are unlikely to alter their playing XI, having struck the right balance in recent games by promoting Sanju Samson to open alongside Abhishek — a move that has added variety and reduced predictability in a predominantly left-handed top order.