Colombo, Feb 14 (IANS) India skipper Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday confirmed that opener Abhishek Sharma, who missed the second match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against Namibia, is “fit to play” and will feature against the arch-rivals Pakistan in the crucial Group A clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Abhishek was admitted to a private hospital in New Delhi on Monday due to a stomach infection, which he picked up during the clash against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In Abhishek’s absence, Sanju Samson opened against Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, scoring a brisk 22 off eight balls, and could reprise the role if needed.

Asked whether Abhishek will play on Sunday, Suryakumar said at the pre-match press conference, “Yes, he will play. There’s always pressure. With India-Pakistan, it’s more of an occasion. No matter how much we say it’s just any other game, it’s a human tendency to be under pressure because it is not any other game. We don’t play them often either. So the pressure is always there.”

Moreover, the rain threat looms over the high-intensity encounter, as weather forecasts show a strong possibility of showers on Sunday in Colombo. Downplaying the rain factor, Suryakumar said, “Weather is something we can’t control. Playing good cricket is the only thing in our control. We have similar wickets back home, too. We have played a lot of cricket here. We are familiar with the conditions.”

India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group in the opening stages of the past five editions of the T20 World Cup and the previous two 50-over World Cup competitions. Till now, the two sides have played each other eight times in the T20 World Cup, with India emerging victorious on seven occasions, while Pakistan managed to win only once (in 2021).

Earlier, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha reflected on the chatter surrounding Usman Tariq and his bowling action, calling the spinner the team’s “trump card”. Tariq’s unique bowling has faced questions over its legality, particularly for a pause in his delivery stride, holding his landing foot in the air before releasing the ball with exaggerated delay. However, Surya assured that the Indian team won’t surrender in front of the Pakistani spinner. “Even if a question is out of the syllabus, you can’t leave it. He’s a different character, but we can’t surrender to him (Usman Tariq). We are all very excited.”

India’s batting has faced challenges in the T20 World Cup 2026 so far. Despite two wins, India’s middle-order has struggled against both the USA and Namibia. Suryakumar Yadav speaking on the issue said, “We had a scratchy start, we can’t run away from the fact. There’s no excuse. Everyone has played a lot of cricket, and batters should have their own plans on a tricky wicket. We started well, but had a hiccup, and then covered it well. It’s the beauty of T20 cricket.”

–IANS

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