IND vs ENG: India suffer big blow as star player twists ankle during training

India is set to take on England in the 2nd T20I on Saturday (January 25), and ahead of that, the hosts have been dealt with a big blow.

The Indian team learnt an unprecedented injury of star batter Abhishek Sharma on Friday, who twisted his ankle during training.

Abhishek, who played a sublime knock of 79 runs in just 34 deliveries in the last match, sustained the injury during a catching drill. Abhishek's ankle was injured and the player subsequently didn't come out to bat for the remainder of the day. He was inside the dressing room being treated by the physiotherapist for about 30 minutes as per reports.

The 24-year-old is known for his blistering starts and his absence will be an unwelcoming news for Suryakumar Yadav and his team. The Punjab-born player had a superb outing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and continued his top form in the first T20I for India as well.

If Abhishek is unable to play on Saturday, Chennai may witness the introduction of Dhruv Jurel. In Abhishek's absence, Tilak Varma may also be promoted to opening the batting along with Sanju Samson.

Another team India star Mohammed Shami attended the training session in Chennai on Friday. Shami, who is making a return to international cricket since 2023, didn't play in Kolkata, but looked fit while bowling at the Cheapuk. Even if Shami is fit, his comeback is likely to be derailed as the team management is likely to field the same team from Kolkata. India currently lead the five-match T20I series 1-0 and a win in Chennai will further solidify their position.