Ind vs Pak: T20 World Cup-Winning Captain Makes Big 'Abhishek Sharma' Request To Suryakumar Yadav, Gautam Gambhir
Abhishek Sharma missed the Group A match against against Namibia on Thursday due to a stomach infection that had required two days' hospitalisation.
Former Australia skipper Aaron Finch has suggested that charismatic opener Abhishek Sharma be given adequate time to fully recover from the illness which sidelined him from India's match in the T20 World Cup, even if it means missing the key clash against arch-rivals Pakistan. Finch emphasised that India should prioritise ensuring Abhishek is completely fit and healthy for the business end of the tournament rather than rushing him back for a marquee fixture. Abhishek missed the Group A match against against Namibia on Thursday due to a stomach infection that had required two days' hospitalisation.
"If Abhishek is still under the weather and you don't want to take a risk, that's totally fine. You can't win the tournament in the first phase, but you can certainly lose it. He's (Abhishek) the most damaging player in world cricket, so you want him fit and firing," Finch opined on 'JioStar Media Day'.
"If that means taking a couple of extra days of rest, that's something you'd absolutely be prepared to do, regardless of how big the India versus Pakistan match looks on paper. You want your best players fit and healthy when the business end of the tournament comes around," he added.
Underlining the charismatic left-hander's importance to the side, Finch said that Abhishek's ability to dismantle any bowling attack is rare, adding that not many batters in world cricket possess that kind of game-changing firepower.
"Any team that has Abhishek Sharma in it is going to be better in T20 cricket. He's a superstar. His ability to destroy an attack from ball one and keep going in a way that not many other players in the world, if any, can match makes him a special player.
"So, I really hope he is well enough soon because I love watching him play. It was unfortunate to see that he spent some time in the hospital unwell, and I wish him a speedy recovery," said Finch.
He said that India would be keen to quickly secure a place in the Super Eights with a win against Pakistan and the likes of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan have the ability to do that.
"India are stacked, no doubt about that. Sanju Samson at the top got off to a flyer against Namibia, along with Ishan Kishan. As big as the game is, India would have one eye on the Super Eights, the semifinal and the final."
India captain Suryakumar Yadav, however, confirmed on Saturday that Abhishek Sharma will play against Pakistan.
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India Cricket Team
Pakistan Cricket Team
Aaron Finch