India vs Pakistan, ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Abhishek Sharma's fitness has remained a huge concern for India ahead of their much-awaited match against Pakistan in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15. The star opener missed the match against Namibia, which they won by 93 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.

Amid all the speculations, Abhishek, who is suffering from a stomach issue, provided a major health update ahead of the match against Pakistan. The left-handed batterfeatured in a video shared by Arshdeep on social media, where he was asked about his health, weight loss, and diet. Abhishek went on to mention that he remains on a strict diet of dal and rice. Furthermore, the opening batter claimed he has lost 2kg in weight since being hospitalised with a stomach issue.

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Abhishek was dismissed for 0 in the first against the USA, but didn't take the field. He was hospitalised earlier this week to treat acute gastroenteritis and dehydration. While he has since been discharged and was seen undergoing light practice on Friday, team management remains cautious. Abhishek's absence could turn out to be a huge blow to the Indian team, considering his impressive record against Pakistan. On the back of his second win, India jumped to the top of the Group A points table. On the other hand, Pakistan have also looked in brilliant form and have won both of their first two games.

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Abhishek's participation in the match against Pakistan would depend on the training sessions in Colombo. Meanwhile, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav gave an update on Abhishek, saying he is yet to fully recover and might take one or two games to reach full fitness. "Abhishek isn't fine still, might take one or two games," said the Indian captain.

In Abhishek's absence, Sanju Samson made his first appearance in a T20 World Cup match and looked promising for his 22-run fiery cameo in just 8 balls on the back of one four and three sixes. Ishan Kishan also produced an impactful effort, scoring 61 runs in just 24 balls with the help of six fours and five sixes.

India will be heading into the next match on the back of an outstanding record against the arch-rivals Pakistan, beating them thrice in the Asia Cup last year. Both teams have faced off eight times in the T20 World Cup, and India have a tremendous record with six wins under their belt.