Team India could have a major scare as they prepare for the second T20I against England on Saturday (Jan 25) with Abhishek Sharma reportedly injured in training. According to media reports, Abhishek did not bat in training due to an injury he sustained on Friday after twisting his ankle. Abhishek is India’s first-choice opener alongside Sanju Samson and is highly unlikely to play in the Chennai T20I.

Advertisment

Abhishek doubtful for Chennai T20I

According to a report from Cricbuzz, Abhishek twisted his ankle in training, making him unavailable for batting on the eve of the Chennai T20I. In case he is unable to recover, the Indian team management will have to search for a replacement as they look to extend their lead in the series. India won the opening T20I by seven wickets, where Abhishek scored 79 runs and was the architect-in-chief with the bat.

Sanju Samson scored 26 off 20 before Tilak Varma (19) and Hardik Pandya (3) completed the formalities.

Advertisment

At the time of writing, the team management had yet to comment on the situation, meaning Abhishek is not officially ruled out of the Chennai contest.

ALSO READ | Australian Open: Zverev reacts at crowd's jeering after Djokovic pulls out, says ‘please guys, don't boo’

In case the versatile SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter is ruled out, India could promote Tilak Varma to the opener’s position. Rinku Singh also remains a candidate to open the Indian innings in case Abhishek misses out.

Advertisment

A win for India will take them one more step towards winning the five-match T20I series, while England will have plenty of work to do on the field. The English side is one of the favourites to win the Champions Trophy starting on February 19 and will look to build momentum for the tournament.

The contest will start at 7:00 PM, with the toss taking place at 6:30 PM IST at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.