Will Abhishek Sharma be available for the India vs Namibia match? We’ll only know that once Suryakumar Yadav reveals India’s team sheet at the Arun Jaitley Stadium later today.
Should Abhishek Sharma play against Namibia?
Abhishek had featured in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener against the USA, bagging a golden duck. After the match, it came out that Abhishek had a high fever, 103, and a stomach bug. After India reached Delhi, the 25-year-old was even admitted to the hospital.
His stomach infection had worsened, and Abhishek had to be administered drips for immediate relief. The situation came under control as he was discharged on January 11, the eve of the India vs Namibia match. But it’s uncertain whether he’ll play or not.
The Indian management might want to rest Abhishek and play him in the big India vs Pakistan match. He’s lost a bit of weight and hasn’t been training. It would be the right call to let him settle in and then play.
But missing games isn’t easy. Former Indian chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth thinks Abhishek’s rhythm will be broken if he misses the Namibia game, and he’ll have to find the mojo back against Pakistan.
“Abhishek Sharma playing against Namibia and getting back into rhythm is very important. The momentum in cricket is very important. So, him not playing will be a very big loss,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, ‘Cheeky Cheeka’.
Not Samson, Sundar should open
The former Indian captain thinks it’ll be the right call for the management to rest Abhishek. But Srikkanth doesn’t want Sanju Samson to replace him. Instead, he wants Washington Sundar to open the batting alongside Ishan Kishan against Namibia. His reasoning is that Samson has just lost all confidence and won’t play well if picked.
However, once Abhishek returns as opener against Pakistan, Srikkanth won’t drop Sundar. He thinks the management should then axe Rinku Singh and play Sundar as the designated finisher.
“If I were the captain, I would have had a different thought process. Sanju is totally out of form. I will bring Washington Sundar in and make him open. I want him to be fit and play the match against Pakistan. If Abhishek comes back for the Pakistan game, I will push Sundar to eight and remove Rinku Singh. My thinking is out of the box here. Samson has been given a fair run, and he has not done anything. It is just to give Sundar the feel of a match,” Srikkanth added.
India squad for Namibia match
Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel (vc), Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar
