If Pakistan want Abhishek Sharma to play, he will play: Suryakumar Yadav

Abhishek Sharma is set to return to India’s playing XI for their T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan after missing the previous game due to illness. India captain Suryakumar Yadav dropped a strong hint about the young opener’s inclusion during the pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s fixture on February 15.

The aggressive left-hander sat out India’s last match against the Namibia national cricket team after being hospitalised with a stomach infection. Abhishek had featured in India’s tournament opener against the USA in Mumbai despite battling a high fever, but his condition worsened later, requiring treatment in Delhi. He was discharged just a day before the Namibia game.

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The 23-year-old is believed to have lost nearly two kilos during his brief illness but is now recovering well ahead of the high-stakes encounter.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha had earlier expressed his desire to face Abhishek, stating that Pakistan wanted to take on India’s strongest XI.

“I really hope — we all know he's a good player — and I really hope he plays tomorrow because we want to play against the best team they have. I really hope he is recovering well and can play tomorrow,” Agha said.

When reporters relayed those comments, Suryakumar responded with a cheeky remark.

“If Pakistan want Abhishek Sharma to play, he will play,” he said with a smile.

WHO WILL ABHISHEK SHARMA REPLACE?

A call on Abhishek Sharma would be taken on matchday, the Indian team had said in the lead-up to the Pakistan game. The left-hander who has the ability to play at a very high tempo, would likely replace Sanju Samson in the batting line-up.

If Abhishek plays in Colombo, it would be of a huge benefit to India, given the batter's incredible spin-hitting capability. Abhishek originally made his name as a spin basher in the Indian Premier League, but over time worked on his pace hitting game as well. Since his debut in international cricket, Abhishek has had a meteoric rise and currently is the top-ranked batter in the format.

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