World No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma will not be playing for India in their second Group A match of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The power-batter from Amritsar, who scored a golden duck in India’s opening match against the USA on February 7 in Mumbai, has still not recovered from illness.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav Confirms Abhishek Might Miss More T20 World Cup 2026 Games
According to Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma is “still not fine” and could miss a game or two.
“In Abhishek’s place, Sanju comes in, similar batter, explosive,” Suryakumar Yadav said at the toss in Delhi on Thursday (February 12).
BCCI Updates on Abhishek Sharma’s Health
The Board of Control for Cricket in India also shared an update on X. According to the BCCI, Abhishek is still recovering from illness and was unavailable for selection against Namibia.
“Update: Abhishek Sharma is still recovering from his illness and was unavailable for selection. The BCCI medical team is closely monitoring his progress,” the BCCI tweeted.
Abhishek Sharma has been replaced by wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who is set to open the batting for India alongside Ishan Kishan. Along with Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah is also back in India’s playing XI. Jasprit Bumrah had earlier missed the opener for India against the USA due to a high fever.
Jasprit Bumrah will play in place of Mohammed Siraj. Siraj, who joined the squad on February 6, replacing Harshit Rana, played against the Monank Patel-led side at Wankhede Stadium and took 3 wickets for 29 in four overs to help India win by 29 runs.
“Huge Opportunity for Sanju Samson” – Sunil Gavaskar
“It’s a huge opportunity for Sanju Samson. He might have to get ready for the Pakistan game,” said Sunil Gavaskar on live television after Suryakumar confirmed the change.
Will Abhishek Sharma Be Fit for India vs Pakistan on Sunday?
With Abhishek missing the clash against Namibia, fans will be watching closely to see if he recovers in time for the high-stakes match against Pakistan on Sunday in Colombo.
Playing XIs of India and Namibia:
Namibia (Playing XI) – Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (C), JJ Smit, Zane Green (WK), Ruben Trumpelmann, Malan Kruger (In for Dylan Leicher), Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo (In for Willem Myburgh), Max Heingo.
India (Playing XI) – Sanju Samson (In for Abhishek Sharma), Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah (In for Mohammed Siraj).
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