Abhishek Sharma has failed to recover in time for the India vs Namibia clash in Delhi. Sharma suffered a stomach infection and had to be hospitalised on the eve of the T20 World Cup 2026 match. India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed on Thursday that the left-hander was unwell and could miss 1-2 games, throwing doubt on his availability for the IND vs PAK game on Sunday.
"Abhishek is still not fine, he will miss a game or two. Sanju comes in, similar batter, explosive," Yadav said at the toss for the IND vs NAM clash.
The BCCI late issued an update on Abhishek's health, notifying that they were monitoring his condition closely.
"Abhishek Sharma is still recovering from his illness and was unavailable for selection. The BCCI medical team is closely monitoring his progress," it said in a statement on X.
Sharma has been unwell since the start of the tournament and played the opening game with a fever. He attended the team bonding dinner at Gautam Gambhir's residence but left early. He was admitted to the hospital earlier this week. His discharge was confirmed by Tilak Varma in the press conference on Tuesday ahead of the IND vs NAM clash.
"Abhishek has been discharged today. There is still time to decide on his participation for tomorrow's game," Varma told reporters.
A stomach infection is known to affect stamina and endurance and it remains to be seen if Abhishek will be in a position to travel on Friday, train on Saturday and take the field on Sunday.
Suryakumar Yadav's comments at the toss however express the team's doubt over his recovery in time for the IND vs PAK game. The clash against Pakistan will determine which Super 8s group India qualify into, amking Sharma's fitness of paramount importance. In his absence, Sanju Samson has found another chance in the playing XI.
