 (2).png)
9 hours ago
3
ARTICLE AD BOX
India have received a big boost ahead of their T20 World Cup 2026 match against Namibia, with opener Abhishek Sharma being discharged from the hospital.
India opener Abhishek Sharma was on Wednesday discharged from the hospital in Delhi. The development is a massive boost for India ahead of their second Group A fixture against Namibia in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
India are scheduled to take on Namibia in their second match of the 2026 T20 World Cup in Delhi on Thursday (12 February).
Tilak Varma provides update on Abhishek Sharma's health
Abhishek, who was dismissed for a duck against the USA, had been admitted to a hospital in Delhi due to a stomach bug. However, a call on his availability for the match against Namibia will only be taken on the matchday.
"When we reached Delhi, he went to the hospital for scans. He was discharged today. He is doing well," Abhishek's teammate Tilak Varma said during the pre-match press conference in Delhi on Wednesday.
"We have got one more day to go for the game. We will decide by tomorrow. It will depend on how he feels," he added.
The 25-year-old had played the T20 World Cup group stage match against the USA despite the stomach bug. He, however, failed to get off the mark as he was dismissed for a two-ball duck. As a result, Abhishek did not take the field during the USA's run chase.
On Monday, Gautam Gambhir had hosted a team dinner, but he left that event early as he was unwell. He has also not travelled with the rest of the Indian team on Wednesday, the eve of India's matchday against Namibia.
Sanju Samson to play?
If Abhishek Sharma does not play against Namibia, then Sanju Samson could replace him in the playing XI. Samson, however, has not been in the best of form recently. He managed to score just 46 runs from five matches at a strike-rate of 135.29 and an average of 9.20.
Because of his underwhelming series against New Zealand and Ishan Kishan's rise, Samson lost his spot to Kishan in the match against the USA. Kishan had scored a fifty and a century against New Zealand, and followed that up with a half-century against South Africa in the warm-up match.
However, according to PTI, Samson batted at the nets on Tuesday and also worked with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. This could be an indication of the Kerala batter possibly playing against Namibia should Abhishek Sharma miss out.
After the match against Namibia on Thursday, India are scheduled to take on arch-rivals Pakistan (15 February in Colombo) and the Netherlands (18 February in Ahmedabad) in their last two group stage matches.
English (US) ·