T20 World Cup: Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha wants Abhishek Sharma challenge in IND vs PAK; ‘want to play against the best’

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha called Abhishek Sharma the “best” and hoped for Indian batter's availability during their high-voltage Group A clash in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 in Colombo on Sunday. The Indian opener, who was dismissed for a duck against USA, has been down with stomach illness since then and also had to be hospitalised in Delhi.

Although the 24-year-old missed India's match against Namibia, the left-hander was in all smiles as he travelled with his Indian teammates to Colombo on Friday evening for the marquee match. Asked about Abhishek, the Pakistan skipper took an interesting take.

"I hope Abhishek Sharma plays tomorrow. I hope he's recovering well. We want to play against the best," said Salman Ali at the pre-match press conference on the eve of the game. Having made his India debut in 2024, Abhishek has played Pakistan only thrice, all during the Asia Cup 2025.

The Indian left-hander, scored 31, 74 and 5 against Pakistan and remains a threat to the opposition on his given day. Notably, India's record against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup is 7-1. The only time India lost to Pakistan in the T20 World Cup was in 2021. In fact, it's India's only loss to Pakistan in the history of cricket World Cups (ODI & T20I).

Ever since the Asia Cup last year, India have maintained a no-handshake policy with their Pakistani counterparts on the cricket field, as a mark of respect for the Indian citizens who lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack in April, 2025 and also as a gesture of solidarity with the Indian Army during 'Operation Sindoor'.

Asked if Pakistan would want to sort things out on the cricket field, Salman Agha expected players from both teams to uphold the spirit of the game. "We will see about it tomorrow," Salman Agha said. "I expect game should play in the spirit it has always been played since it's inception," Agha said.

An informal 5-country meeting in Colombo

Meanwhile, in Colombo on Sunday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) chief Jay Shah is likely to have an informal meeting with the representatives of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

BCB chief Aminul Islam Bulbul had said that he would be in Colombo to watch the India-Pakistan match where he expected to break ice with the BCCI after tense exchanges over the past few weeks.

Speaking to Bangladesh newspaper 'Pratham Alo', Islam said the invitation for the high-profile game has come from the ICC. "The ICC has taken a decision. The major stakeholders of the ICC are these five Asian countries and for the India-Pakistan World Cup match on the 15th, they want representatives of all five Asian countries to be present at the ground together, watch the match together and talk to one another," Islam said.

Catch the live action of the T20 World Cup 2026 with the complete T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule, and the T20 World Cup 2026 Points Table. Also, know who currently leading the charts for Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2026 and Most Wickets in T20 World Cup 2026.