Kamal Ghorui
With India preparing to face the New Zealand national cricket team in the T20 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, former captain Sunil Gavaskar has suggested a bold change to the playing XI. The 1983 World Cup winner believes India should consider dropping Abhishek Sharma after the opener’s prolonged struggle with the bat in the ongoing tournament.Abhishek has endured a difficult campaign in the tenth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The left-hander has managed only 89 runs so far at an average of 12.71. His figures would have looked even worse had it not been for a half-century against the Zimbabwe national cricket team during the Super 8 stage. Alarmingly for India, Abhishek has been dismissed for a duck three times and has fallen to spin bowling on four occasions in the tournament.Also See: IND vs NZ Live Score T20 World Cup Final 2026
Gavaskar pointed out that the bigger issue is not just the lack of runs but the repeated nature of the dismissals. According to him, bowlers have consistently targeted a specific area and the batter has struggled to adapt his approach.
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“It’s a very tough call. Abhishek Sharma is the No. 1 batter in the ICC T20 rankings, but he hasn’t learned from his dismissals. He keeps getting out in the same region where his arms are cramped for room,” Gavaskar told India Today.“Bowlers are targeting that area and forcing mistakes. My concern is that he either hasn’t adjusted yet or is unable to change his approach,” he added.Abhishek’s struggles were evident again in the semi-final against the England cricket team. Attempting to attack early, he fell into the trap set by spinner Will Jacks and was dismissed in just the second over after scoring nine runs.As an alternative, Gavaskar proposed bringing Rinku Singh into the side while reshuffling the top order. In his suggested combination, Ishan Kishan would partner Sanju Samson at the top of the order for the final.“I would like to see Ishan Kishan open the batting with Sanju Samson, with Rinku Singh coming into the side. Rinku has that belief, you’ve probably seen the ‘God’s Plan’ tattoo on his body, and sometimes things just work out for players like him,” Gavaskar said.The legendary batter also hinted at another possible change in the bowling department. Varun Chakravarthy has struggled for rhythm since the Super 8 stage began and endured a particularly tough outing against England, conceding more than 60 runs in his four overs during the semi-final.Gavaskar believes India could consider bringing in Kuldeep Yadav instead, especially given the conditions in Ahmedabad.“The other change I would consider is bringing in Kuldeep Yadav. Varun Chakravarthy’s confidence looks shattered at the moment. Since the Super Eight stage, when he faced stronger teams, he has struggled and conceded a lot of runs. At a ground like the Narendra Modi Stadium, with big boundaries, Kuldeep Yadav could be a good option because he can turn the ball even on flat surfaces,” Gavaskar said.
