India captain Suryakumar Yadav's cheeky reply to Salman Agha: 'If Pakistan want Abhishek Sharma to play, he will play'

India captain Suryakumar Yadav addressed the media ahead of the much-anticipated clash against Pakistan on Sunday in Colombo. Yadav touched upon various subjects and also answered the query on whether opening batter Abhishek Sharma will feature in the high-stakes encounter. Abhishek missed out on Thursday's match against Namibia as he was not one hundred per cent, having spent two days in the hospital due to a stomach infection.

Suryakumar Yadav provides an update on Abhishek Sharma

During the toss in the Namibia game, Yadav stated that it could take Abhishek more time to recover, casting doubt on his participation in the game against Pakistan. However, much to the relief of Indian fans, Suryakumar has confirmed that Abhishek will take the field against Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

The Indian captain found a cheeky way to announce Sharma's availability. During the presser ahead of the game, it was brought to SKY's knowledge that Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has expressed a desire to face Abhishek, as Pakistan want India to enter the ground with its strongest XI.

“I really hope, we all know he's a good player, and I really hope he plays tomorrow because we want to play against the best team they have. I really hope he is recovering well and can play tomorrow,” Agha said.

When reporters relayed those comments, Suryakumar responded with a satirical remark.

“If Pakistan want Abhishek Sharma to play, he will play,” he said with a smile.

Who will Abhishek Sharma replace in the playing XI?

While Suryakumar Yadav has conveyed that Abhishek Sharma will play against Pakistan. The official confirmation will come at the time of the toss, when the playing XIs of both sides will be revealed. Before that, anything and everything will just be an assertion.

Nevertheless, if Abhishek makes his return to the side, then it is probable that he will replace Sanju Samson at the top. Samson showed promise in the game against Namibia, where he scored a quickfire 22 off 8 balls. But failing to capitalise on the start can put him on the bench against Pakistan.

Abhishek Sharma will be eager to make his way back, as he perished on a duck in India's campaign opener against the USA. Notwithstanding, Abhishek has been in spectacular form lately and should he get the responsibility to open for India against Pakistan, he will have the onus to give his team a cracking start and put pressure on Pakistan from the outset.