Varma said that Abhishek Sharma had gone to the hospital for the tests. He was discharged today on February 11th. However, it is not clear whether the opener will play the February 12 match against Namibia. If he is unable to play the match, Sanju Samson can be named as his replacement in the playing XI.
Why is there uncertainty about Abhishek Sharma?
During the India-US match, it was reported that Sharma informed the team management of stomach problems, and that the weather may have also had some effect on his health. He has since disappeared from the field.
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Yesterday, it was also noticed that Abhishek Sharma was not present at the practice session, which was organized under the floodlights in Delhi. India will take on Namibia for their next group match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium at 7:00 PM IST. India will take the field after registering a crucial win in their opening match of the tournament against the United States.
In this match, Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck. It was later reported that the batter was unwell and did not take the field in the second inning either. Since then he has been struggling with stomach problems, as claimed.
Updates from the assistant coach
Ahead of the second group match, Team India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also spoke about the uncertainty surrounding Sharma. “Abhi (Abhishek Sharma) is still having some stomach problems, but we are hopeful that he will be available for the match in two days,” Doeschate said at his press conference.
If Abhishek remains unfit for the India-Namibia match, it will be a major setback for the defending champions as the left-hander plays a major role behind their recent dominance in the format.
Sanju Samson to play the next match?
The emerging cricketer has been performing well since India’s successful Asia Cup 2025 campaign. He also scored a bunch of runs against New Zealand during the five-match bilateral T20I series.
If Abhishek Sharma is unable to play in the upcoming match, Sanju Samson can come back into the mix. This time he can team up with Ishan Kishan. Samson was the first-choice opener along with Sharma during the New Zealand series. Due to a lack of points, he lost his place in the playing XI to Ishan Kishan.
It is important for the team to keep their top players fresh as India’s third group match will be against arch-rivals Pakistan. For this particular match, the management will try to select the best possible combination and Sharma is among the top prospects who deserve to be in the game.
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