India opener Abhishek Sharma has been hospitalised with a stomach infection, casting serious doubt over his availability for Thursday’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against Namibia in the capital, according to Indian media reports.
The left-handed batter has reportedly been admitted to a private hospital in New Delhi for the past two days, where medical tests are ongoing to determine the exact nature of his illness.
“Abhishek has been admitted to a private hospital in Delhi due to a stomach infection,” a source close to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was quoted as saying.
“Some tests are being conducted to ascertain the exact problem. It is still unclear whether he will be discharged today. As of now, his participation in the match against Namibia looks doubtful.”
Concerns over Abhishek’s health first emerged during India’s tournament opener against the United States in Mumbai.
After being dismissed for a first-ball duck, the opener did not return to the field during the USA’s chase. India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate later confirmed that the batter had been dealing with a stomach bug.
“Abhi still has a few issues with his tummy,” ten Doeschate had said at the time, expressing hope that the youngster would recover in time for the next match.
Should Abhishek fail to regain fitness, India could reshuffle their top order, with wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson emerging as a potential opening option.
Samson recently lost his place as the first-choice wicketkeeper to Ishan Kishan after a lean run of form during the New Zealand series.
“We’re waiting on Abhi’s fitness more than anything, and that could open up a few different combinations,” ten Doeschate added during the same press conference.
Meanwhile, India have received encouraging news on the injury front, with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah set to return.
Bumrah missed the opening match against the USA due to illness but trained at full intensity in Delhi on Tuesday, signalling his readiness for the Namibia clash.
All-rounder Washington Sundar has also rejoined the squad after recovering from a side strain suffered during the New Zealand series.
He bowled in the nets and faced throwdowns late in Tuesday’s training session, indicating he is close to full match fitness.