Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India captain Suryakumar Yadav offered a cheeky response after Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha said he hoped India’s opener Abhishek Sharma would be fit for the T20 World Cup clash between the two sides on Sunday.At the pre-match press conference on Saturday, Agha had said Pakistan wanted to face India at full strength and wished for Abhishek’s recovery.“I really hope – we all know he is a good player, and I really hope he plays tomorrow because we want to play against the best team they have, and I really hope he is recovering well and can play tomorrow,” Agha said.When asked about the remark, Suryakumar replied with a smile: “If the (Pakistan cricket team’s captain) wants him to play, will play him (Abhishek Sharma) tomorrow.”Abhishek had a difficult start to the tournament, getting out for a golden duck against USA. He then missed India’s match against Namibia in Delhi after being hospitalised with a stomach infection.Abhishek, who made his T20I debut after India’s 2024 World Cup triumph, has been in outstanding form in the format. In 38 matches and 37 innings, he has scored 1,297 runs at an average of 37.05 and a striking rate of 194.74, including two centuries and eight fifties, with a highest score of 135.He came into this year’s T20 World Cup as the world’s top-ranked T20I batter. Against Pakistan, he has featured in three matches, scoring 110 runs at an average of 36.66 and a strike rate of 189.65, with a best of 74. India will take on Pakistan on 15 February at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
