Abhishek has reportedly lost a significant amount of weight due to stomach bug and dehydration.
Despite being unwell on the day of India’s campaign opener against the USA in Mumbai, Abhishek showed immense courage and chose to play the game. However, he bagged a golden duck and didn’t come to field during the second innings.
After landing in Delhi, the southpaw’s health deteriorated and he had to be hospitalized. The stomach bug and high fever reportedly led to Sharma losing a significant amount of weight due to dehydration in a short period.
With Abhishek Sharma’s fitness still under assessment, former Australia skipper Aaron Finch has advised the Indian team management not to rush the explosive batter into the playing XI against Pakistan.
“No, they are stacked enough, no doubt about that. Sanju at the top, he got off to a flyer last night, along with Ishan. As big as the game is, I think India would have their eye on the Super 8s, the semi-final and the final," Finch said while speaking to the media.
“So, to me, if Abhishek is still under the weather and you don’t want to take a risk, that is totally fine, because you understand that you cannot win the tournament in this first phase, but you can certainly lose it," he added.
Finch stressed the need to manage Abhishek’s recovery, pointing out that India would benefit more from having him fit for the later stages of the tournament than risking a premature return.
“And he is the most damaging player in world cricket, so you want him fit and firing. And if that means he has to take a couple of extra days of rest, then I think that is something you would absolutely be prepared to do, regardless of how big the India versus Pakistan match is on paper," Finch stated.
Speaking at the toss for Namibia game, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said that Abhishek is “still not fine and will miss a game or two.”
However, after the match, mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy sounded confident of Sharma’s participation in the marquee Pakistan clash, scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.
"I think he will play the next match," Varun said while speaking on JioHotstar. "I don't know. As far as I have spoken to him, he looks good. He did some practice today. He said he is on the way."