Abhishek Sharma Hospitalised with Stomach Infection, Likely to Miss T20 World Cup Match vs Namibia

India, Feb 11 : India’s left handed opener and current world No. 1 T20I batter, Abhishek Sharma, remains doubtful for Thursday’s 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup Group A clash against Namibia after being admitted to a private hospital in New Delhi due to a stomach infection.

The 25 year old missed India’s training session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday evening and is under close medical observation. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed Sharma’s condition, describing it as a “tummy issue” while expressing cautious optimism about his recovery.

Sharma had already shown signs of illness during the team dinner at head coach Gautam Gambhir’s residence on Sunday, leaving early due to discomfort. He has been hospitalised since Monday, with further tests underway to determine his fitness for the match against Namibia.

The opener had participated in India’s opening Group A game against the USA at Wankhede Stadium despite a high fever but managed only a duck and did not field in the second innings due to the illness. India won that match by 29 runs.

Given the upcoming high-stakes matches against Pakistan on February 15 in Colombo and the Netherlands on February 18 in Ahmedabad the team management is unlikely to rush Sharma back. His potential absence could see Sanju Samson partnering in-form Ishan Kishan at the top, though Samson has previously struggled as an opener in India’s recent 4–1 series win over New Zealand.

Samson worked alongside Kishan during Tuesday’s practice, and India is scheduled for another training session at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday before facing Namibia.