Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha called Abhishek Sharma the “best” and hoped for Indian batter’s availability during their high-voltage Group A clash in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 in Colombo on Sunday. The Indian opener, who was dismissed for a duck against USA, has been down with stomach illness since then and also had to be hospitalized in Delhi.
Although the 24-year-old missed India’s match against Namibia, the left-hander was in all smiles as he traveled with his Indian teammates to Colombo on Friday evening for the marquee match. Asked about Abhishek, the Pakistan skipper took an interesting take.
“I hope Abhishek Sharma plays tomorrow. I hope he’s recovering well. We want to play against the best,” said Salman Ali at the pre-match press conference on the eve of the game. Having made his India debut in 2024, Abhishek has played Pakistan only thrice, all during the Asia Cup 2025.
The Indian left-hander, scored 31, 74 and 5 against Pakistan and remains a threat to the opposition on his given day.
