India are likely to receive a huge boost ahead of their marquee clash against Pakistan on Sunday (February 15) in Colombo. Opener Abhishek Sharma, who had missed the Namibia fixture due to fever and stomach bug, appears to have recovered fully from the illnesses and is on track to feature in the India-Pakistan clash.
The left-hander was an active participant in India's practice session on Saturday (February 14) and seemed to be moving well during his extended stint in the nets. Abhishek is the top-ranked the T20I batter and arguably the best batter in the India line-up at the moment. However, T20 World Cup 2026 didn't start well for the 25-year-old as he fell for a golden duck against USA in the tournament opener.
Abhishek allegedly played the USA game amid high fever and didn't come out to field due to a stomach infection. At that point itself, it was clear that the team management would probably rest their gun batter for the Namibia fixture as a precautionary measure. However, captain Suryakumar Yadav did seem unsure at the toss for the Namibia game about Abhishek's return date.
Even 24 hours earlier, there was uncertainty over Abhishek's fitness and the think tank also did well to keep the suspense under wraps. Remember, Abhishek didn't come to the practice sessions at all before the Namibia fixture. Here, the southpaw was seen doing the drills without showing any signs of discomfort.
At the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar continued to play hide-and-seek with this question, choosing to keep the cards close to his chest. However, if Abhishek's practice session is any indication, he should be back for the Pakistan game. Unless this was India's plan to confuse the Pakistan camp.
