India opener Abhishek Sharma has been admitted to the hospital with a stomach infection and is unlikely to feature in Thursday’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against Namibia in Delhi, according to a report by Press Trust of India on Wednesday.
A Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official confirmed, “Abhishek has been hospitalised at a private facility in Delhi due to a stomach infection.”
The left-handed batter has been under medical care in the capital for the past two days. The source added that medical tests are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the illness, and it is uncertain whether he will be discharged today. For now, his availability against Namibia remains doubtful.
Concerns over Abhishek’s fitness first appeared during India’s opening World Cup game against the United States in Mumbai. After getting out for a first-ball duck, he did not return to the field during the US innings. India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate later revealed he was dealing with a stomach bug.
“Abhishek still has some stomach issues, but we hope he will be fit in a couple of days,” Doeschate had said.
If he fails to recover in time, India may promote Sanju Samson to open the innings. The wicketkeeper-batter recently lost his first-choice keeping role to Ishan Kishan after a run of low scores against New Zealand last month.
“We are mainly waiting for Abhishek’s fitness, which could lead to different team combinations,” Doeschate added at the same press conference.
In positive news for India, pace leader Jasprit Bumrah is expected to return for the Namibia clash after missing the opener against the US due to illness. He trained at full intensity in Delhi on Tuesday.
All-rounder Washington Sundar has also rejoined the squad after recovering from a side strain picked up during the New Zealand series. He bowled in the nets and faced throwdowns late in Tuesday’s practice session, suggesting he is close to full fitness.
