Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has advised India against rushing Abhishek Sharma back into the playing XI for their high-voltage ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan national cricket team, stressing the importance of managing the opener’s fitness with a long-term view.
Abhishek was hospitalised in Delhi for treatment for what has been reported as a stomach bug. The opening batter was discharged on 11 February, according to team-mate Tilak Varma, who addressed the press on the eve of the match against Namibia national cricket team. However, Abhishek did not attend India’s training sessions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and eventually missed the game, with Sanju Samson stepping in as his replacement.
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Responding to a query from India Today during a media interaction, Finch said India have sufficient depth in their squad to cope with Abhishek’s absence and should avoid taking unnecessary risks so early in the tournament.
“No, they’re stacked enough, no doubt about that. Sanju at the top — he got off to a flyer last night, along with Ishan. As big as the game is, I think India would have their eye on the Super 8s, the semi-final, and the final. So, to me, if Abhishek is still under the weather and you don’t want to take a risk, that’s totally fine, because you understand that you can’t win the tournament in this first phase, but you can certainly lose it,” Finch said.
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Finch emphasised that while the India–Pakistan fixture carries immense significance, the broader objective should be to ensure that key players are fully fit for the latter stages of the competition.
“Abhishek should be fit and healthy for business end of tournament”
“And he’s the most damaging player in world cricket, so you want him fit and firing. And if that means he has to take a couple of extra days of rest, then I think that’s something you would absolutely be prepared to do, regardless of how big the India versus Pakistan match is on paper. You want your best players fit and healthy when the business end of the tournament comes around,” he added.
Providing an update on Abhishek’s fitness ahead of the all-important Pakistan clash, Suryakumar Yadav said that the star batter is likely to miss one or two matches. If he fails to regain match fitness in time for the encounter, Abhishek will leave sizeable shoes to fill, as he is the second-highest run-scorer in the format among Full Member nations since his debut in July 2024.
In his absence, the responsibility of giving India a flying start will once again fall on Samson’s shoulders, despite the wicketkeeper-batter having endured a lean run as an opener since 2025.
– Ends
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
