Abhishek Sharma replaces Sanju Samson in India’s playing XI against Pakistan for T20 World Cup 2026 clash
Abhishek Sharma will return to open the innings against Pakistan in their T20 World Cup 2026 clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed Abhishek’s availability at the toss with Sanju Samson sitting out for the marquee contest. Apart from Abhishek, Kuldeep Yadav also comes in place of Arshdeep Singh.
Abhishek had missed out on India’s previous game against Namibia in Delhi due to illness.
On the eve of the fixture, Suryakumar hinted that Abhishek could be back into the playing XI.
The swashbuckling batter trained on Saturday with the team and hit some big shots. The left-hander showed no signs of weariness while batting at the nets. Abhishek batted against spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, smashing both the spinners to the far corners of Premadasa before shifting to face the pacers.
Published on Feb 15, 2026
