Abhishek Sharma Hospitalised, Doubtful for India’s Namibia Clash

Abhishek Sharma is a major fitness concern ahead of India’s second T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against Namibia cricket team in Delhi on Thursday, after being admitted to a private hospital with a stomach infection.

According to reports, the star opener has been undergoing medical tests for the past two days, casting serious doubt over his availability for the Group stage encounter. A BCCI source indicated that while the exact nature of the infection is still being assessed, his participation against Namibia “looks doubtful as of now.”

Abhishek’s illness first came to light during India’s opening match against United States cricket team in Mumbai, where he was dismissed for a first-ball duck. He did not take the field during USA’s chase, prompting assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate to confirm that the batter had been dealing with a stomach bug.

“Abhi still has got a few issues with his tummy,” ten Doeschate had said after that match, expressing hope that he would recover in time for the next fixture.

Should Abhishek fail to regain fitness, India may reshuffle their top order. Sanju Samson is a likely candidate to open, offering flexibility at the top, especially after losing his first-choice wicketkeeper-batter role to Ishan Kishan in recent weeks.

In more positive news for India cricket team, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is set to return after missing the opener due to illness. He trained at full intensity in Delhi. Allrounder Washington Sundar has also rejoined the squad following recovery from a side strain.

India will hope for clarity on Abhishek’s condition soon as they aim to maintain momentum in the tournament.