Abhishek set to return to action against Pakistan, confirms Suryakumar Yadav

On the eve of the blockbuster clash against arch-rivals Pakistan, India skipper Suryakuymar Yadav has confirmed that explosive opener Abhishek Sharma, who missed the previous game due to illness, will take the field at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

The aggressive opener sat out India’s last match against Namibia national cricket team after being hospitalised with a stomach infection. Abhishek, who had played India’s tournament opener against the USA in Mumbai despite running a high fever, later required treatment in Delhi. He was discharged just a day before the Namibia fixture.

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“Yes, he will play. There’s always pressure. With India-Pakistan, it’s more of an occasion. No matter how much we say it’s just any other game, it’s a human tendency to be under pressure because it is not any other game. We don’t play them often either. So the pressure is always there,” the captain confirmed.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha had earlier expressed his desire to face Abhishek, calling him a key part of India’s strongest XI. “I really hope, we all know he’s a good player, and I really hope he plays tomorrow because we want to play against the best team they have. I really hope he is recovering well and can play tomorrow,” Agha said at the pre-match press conference.

When informed of Agha’s comments, Suryakumar responded with a playful remark. “If Pakistan want Abhishek Sharma to play, he will play,” Suryakumar said with a smile.

Suryakumar was also candid about India’s batting struggles in the T20 World Cup 2026 so far. Despite two wins, India’s middle order has been troubled by both USA and Namibia.

Without mincing any words, Suryakumar said, “We had a scratchy start, we can’t run away from the fact. There’s no excuse. Everyone has played a lot of cricket, batters should have their own plans on a tricky wicket. We started well but had a hiccup, but then covered it well. It’s the beauty of T20 cricket.”

‘Excited about Usman Tariq’

Usman Tariq’s unorthodox action has created quite a buzz in the build-up to the crunch match, with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha calling the spinner the team’s “trump card”. Tariq’s unique bowling has faced questions over its legality, particularly for a pause in his delivery stride, holding his landing foot in the air before releasing the ball with exaggerated delay.

However, Surya assured that the Indian team cannot afford to come unprepared but assured that his side won’t surrender in front of the Pakistani spinner. “Even if a question is out of the syllabus, you can’t leave it. He’s a different character, but we can’t surrender to him (Usman Tariq). We are all very excited.”

With predictions of rain affecting the high-intensity encounter, as weather forecasts show a strong possibility of showers on Sunday in Colombo, Suryakumar downplayed those factors stating, “Weather is something we can’t control. Playing good cricket is the only thing in our control. We have similar wickets back home, too. We have played a lot of cricket here. We are familiar with the conditions.”