New Delhi, February 11: India opener Abhishek Sharma has been hospitalised with a stomach infection, casting serious doubt over his availability for India’s upcoming T20 World Cup match against Namibia in Delhi on Thursday.
According to a PTI report, Abhishek has been admitted to a private hospital in the national capital for the past two days. A BCCI source confirmed that medical tests are currently underway to determine the exact cause of the infection.
“Abhishek has been admitted to a private hospital in Delhi due to stomach infection. Some tests are being done to ascertain the problem. It is still not clear whether he will be discharged today. But match against Namibia looks doubtful as of now,” the source told PTI.
The 23-year-old had already been dealing with a stomach issue during India’s opening T20 World Cup fixture against USA in Mumbai, where he was dismissed for a first-ball duck. He did not take the field during USA’s chase, and India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate later confirmed that the batter was recovering from a stomach bug.
“Abhi still has got a few issues with his tummy. We are hopeful that he’ll be available for the game in two days’ time,” ten Doeschate had said earlier.
If Abhishek fails to recover in time, India could reshuffle their top order, with Sanju Samson emerging as a likely opening option. Samson had recently lost his place as first-choice wicketkeeper-batter to Ishan Kishan after a lean patch against New Zealand.
Ten Doeschate hinted at possible changes, saying the team management was awaiting Abhishek’s fitness update before finalising combinations.
Meanwhile, there is positive news for India as pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is set to return against Namibia after missing the opener due to illness. Bumrah trained at full intensity in Delhi on Tuesday.
Allrounder Washington Sundar has also rejoined the squad after recovering from a side strain suffered during the New Zealand series. He bowled in the nets and had a batting session during training.
India will now closely monitor Abhishek’s health before taking a final call on his participation in Thursday’s crucial encounter.
India began their World Cup campaign with a 29-run victory over the USA and will next face Namibia in New Delhi on February 12, followed by a high-voltage clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in Colombo on February 15.
Source: ESPN Cricinfo
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