Sipu Jha
NEW DELHI: On the eve of the USA match at the Wankhede Stadium, India opener Abhishek Sharma was in full flow, going hard and tonking the ball all over the park. It felt like the top-ranked T20I batter was ready to take the 2026 T20 World Cup by storm. Instead, the 24-year-old is likely to miss India’s second World Cup game against Namibia on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, due to a stomach infection, accompanied by high fever and severe weight loss.“He went to the hospital for the examination. He is discharged today. We have one more day to take the call,” India batter Tilak Varma told reporters on Wednesday when asked about Abhishek Sharma’s health updateIn Abhishek’s absence, Sanju Samson could emerge as an option to open the innings for India alongside Ishan Kishan.TimesofIndia.com has learnt that on February 6, after a net session at the Wankhede Stadium, Abhishek ate something in Mumbai that caused an upset stomach. On matchday, his condition worsened, but the batter decided to carry on and play the game.However, his stay at the crease lasted just one ball. Throughout the match, he was not seen sitting in the dugout and did not walk out to shake hands with the USA team after the 29-run win. It is learnt that the stomach infection was aggravated and led to a high fever.The southpaw travelled with the team to New Delhi, where his condition deteriorated further. Over the past couple of weeks, the Indian team have played matches in Nagpur, Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, and then Mumbai, all of which are hotter venues compared to Delhi. While winter in North India is nearing its end, mornings and evenings remain chilly, and the sudden change in weather did not help the cause of the destructive Indian batter.After suffering drastic weight loss due to dehydration and fluid loss, Abhishek was admitted to Ganga Ram hospital in New Delhi.Abhishek did not travel with the Indian team to the ground for the training session on Wednesday.“Abhi [Abhishek] still has a few issues with his tummy. We are hopeful that he will be available for the game in two days’ time,” India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said at the press conference.“We’re waiting on Abhi’s fitness more than anything, and that will again open up a few different combinations,” ten Doeschate added.However, due to the drastic weight loss, the team management have decided not to take any risk, and Abhishek will not feature in the Namibia fixture.It is also learnt that Abhishek Sharma has called his personal trainer to Delhi, who will stay with him before the team leaves for the blockbuster India vs Pakistan fixture in Colombo on February 15.
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