Speculation had been rife about Abhishek’s availability for the marquee encounter. However, a commanding nets session sent a clear message to fans eagerly waiting for an update. If the current No. 1-ranked T20I batter takes the field on Sunday, it would be a major boost for the defending champions.
The Pakistan camp is also conscious of the threat Abhishek poses at the crease but welcomed his potential return, hoping it would bring out the best competition against India’s strong line-up.
“I really hope Abhishek Sharma will play tomorrow. He is a good player, and we want to play against the best team they have. Really hope he’s recovering well and can play,” said Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha at the pre-match press conference.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav responded with a touch of humour:
“Well, if the Pakistan captain wants to see Abhishek bat, then okay, we will play him.”
Should Abhishek return, Sanju Samson would likely vacate the top-order spot. Samson had a brisk outing of 22 runs, including three sixes, before his innings was cut short on the eighth ball. Indian fans will be hoping for an even bigger impact from Abhishek in this mouthwatering contest.
India’s likely Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy
