Former Australian cricketer Aaron Finch has said that the Indian team management should not rush Abhishek Sharma into the playing XI against Pakistan, as the latter is recovering from a stomach infection that led to his admission to a Delhi hospital. Abhishek played in the game against the USA despite feeling unwell, only to fall on the very first delivery and withdraw from the field. He was ruled out of the match against Namibia after battling viral fever and a stomach infection that required a short hospital stay earlier in the week.
The illness also caused significant weight loss, leading team management to prioritise Abhishek’s recovery over rushing him back into action ahead of upcoming games.
After the Namibia match, Varun Chakaravarthy suggested that Abhishek could return to the playing XI for the pivotal clash against Pakistan, noting that the latter had travelled with the team to Colombo for Sunday’s encounter.
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“No, they are 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,” Aaron Finch said while speaking to the media.
“So, to me, if Abhishek is still under the weather and you don’t want to take a risk, that is totally fine, because you understand that you cannot win the tournament in this first phase, but you can certainly lose it,” Aaron Finch added.
The former cricketer emphasised the need to manage Abhishek’s recovery, pointing out that India would benefit more from having him fit for the tournament’s crucial stages than risking a premature return.
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“And he is 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 is something you would absolutely be prepared to do, regardless of how big the India versus Pakistan match is on paper,” Aaron Finch said.
