Salman Ali Agha Wants Abhishek Sharma to Play India-Pakistan Match

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha hopes Abhishek Sharma will play the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 match in Colombo on February 15.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha hopes Abhishek Sharma features in the India-Pakistan clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The Group A match, No. 27, takes place on February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Abhishek, Player of the Tournament in the Asia Cup 2025, missed India’s February 12 game against Namibia in Delhi due to a stomach infection.

Agha said Pakistan wants to face India at full strength. In Abhishek’s absence, Sanju Samson opened against Namibia and scored 22 off 8 balls. If Abhishek fails to regain fitness, the Sanju is likely to continue at the top of the order.

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

Handshake Decision Still Unclear

Notably, Agha remained non-committal on whether players will exchange handshakes with India before or after the February 15 match in Colombo. He said the decision will become clear on match day, but stressed that the contest must respect the spirit of cricket.

“We will see about it tomorrow. Cricket should be played in (right) spirit. My personal opinion may not matter. But cricket should be played according to how it has always been meant to be played. It’s up to them to decide what to do,” Agha said.

Players from both teams have avoided handshakes since the Asia Cup in Dubai last year, played after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.