T20 World Cup scare: After Bumrah, star Indian batter falls ill mid-match

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Team India has entered the T20 World Cup 2026 hosted by India as the defending champion and is once again considered a strong contender for the title. But with the start of the tournament, the Indian team seems to be struggling with its own fitness problems more than the opposition teams. After Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah being declared unfit, now the name of young opener Abhishek Sharma has also been added to this list. During the first match against USA, Abhishek's health suddenly deteriorated, due to which he had to leave the field.

Abhishek was missing from the field during America's innings.

On Saturday, February 7, the Indian team began its campaign in the World Cup 2026. Batting first against the USA, Team India scored 161 runs. However, shortly after the USA began batting, Abhishek Sharma was missing from the field. He was also not seen in the dugout with the other players, which surprised fans and commentators, as he did not appear to be injured during the match. Captain Suryakumar Yadav clarified the situation in the post-match presentation. He explained that Jasprit Bumrah had a high fever before the match, and Abhishek also started feeling unwell during the match, which is why he was not seen on the field.

Siraj told that he suddenly felt pain in his stomach.

Team India's star fast bowler, Mohammed Siraj, provided a significant update on Abhishek's condition. Siraj revealed that the young opener suddenly experienced severe stomach pain, forcing him to leave the field mid-match. As a precaution, he was not allowed to field again, and Sanju Samson took over as a substitute fielder. However, there's some relief for Indian fans: according to Siraj, Abhishek will be fully fit by the next match and available for selection.

Out for zero in debut match, now hope against Namibia

Abhishek Sharma's debut in a senior ICC tournament turned out to be a nightmare. He was dismissed on the very first ball of the innings against the USA without scoring. After failing with the bat, illness also prevented him from fielding. However, the team management is hopeful that he will recover and return soon. India's next match is against Namibia on February 12th, where Abhishek will look to put his past failure behind him and make a strong comeback.