Prolific Indian opener Abhishek Sharma has been hospitalised with an upset stomach before the group match against Namibia at the T20 World Cup, Indian media and officials say.

Sharma, who is the top-ranked T20I batter in the world, is likely to miss India’s second match of the tournament against Namibia on Thursday.

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“Abhishek has been admitted to a private hospital in Delhi due to a stomach infection,” an official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told the country’s PTI news agency.

“Some tests are being done to ascertain the problem. It is still not clear whether he will be discharged today. But the match against Namibia looks doubtful as of now.”

The explosive left-hander is key to India’s chances of defending their title at the 20-team tournament, and his participation in the marquee match against Pakistan remains uncertain.

The 25-year-old was admitted to a New Delhi hospital on Tuesday after he missed training with a stomach issue he carried from the opening match in Mumbai, the AFP news agency said.

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate acknowledged the concern in his pre-match news conference on Tuesday, saying the batsman had “still got a few issues with his tummy”.

“We hope that he’ll be available for the game in a few days’ time.”

Abhishek was out for a duck in India’s win over the United States, but has been a strong performer in the lead-up to the tournament.

India play their South Asian archrivals in a blockbuster in Sri Lanka after Pakistan reversed its decision to boycott the game over geopolitical tensions.