T20 World Cup, IND vs PAK: Finch says ill Abhishek Sharma shouldn’t be hurried back into team

Aaron Finch advises India to prioritize Abhishek Sharma's recovery over rushing him back for the crucial T20 World Cup match against Pakistan.

Former Australia skipper Aaron Finch has suggested that charismatic opener Abhishek Sharma be given adequate time to fully recover from the illness that sidelined him from India's match in the T20 World Cup, even if it means missing the key clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.

Finch emphasised that India should prioritise ensuring Abhishek is completely fit and healthy for the business end of the tournament rather than rushing him back for a marquee fixture.

Abhishek missed the Group A match against Namibia on Thursday (February 12, 2026) due to a stomach infection that had required two days' hospitalisation.

"If Abhishek is still under the weather and you don't want to take a risk, that's totally fine. You can't win the tournament in the first phase, but you can certainly lose it. He's (Abhishek) the most damaging player in world cricket, so you want him fit and firing," Finch opined on 'JioStar Media Day'.

"If that means taking a couple of extra days of rest, that's something you'd absolutely be prepared to do, regardless of how big the India versus Pakistan match looks on paper. You want your best players fit and healthy when the business end of the tournament comes around," he added.

Underlining the charismatic left-hander’s importance to the side, Finch said that Abhishek's ability to dismantle any bowling attack is rare, adding that not many batters in world cricket possess that kind of game-changing firepower.