As India prepares to take on 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 in the playing XI.
The 1983 World Cup winner believes India should consider dropping Abhishek Sharma after a long struggle as the opener in the ongoing tournament.Abhishek endured a tough campaign in the 10th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The left-hander has managed just 89 runs so far at an average of 12.71. His numbers would have looked worse had it not been for his half-century against the Zimbabwe national cricket team during the Super 8 stage.
Worryingly for India, Abhishek was dismissed for a duck three times and fell while bowling on four occasions in the tournament.See also: IND vs NZ T20 World Cup 2026 live score
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Gavaskar pointed out that the biggest problem lies not only in the small number of nominations, but in the frequent nature of dismissals. According to him, the bowlers were constantly targeting a particular area and the batsman was struggling to adapt to his technique.
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“It’s a very tough call. Abhishek Sharma is the No. 1 batsman in the ICC T20 rankings, but he has not learned from his dismissal.
“He keeps coming out in the same area where his arms are crammed with space,” Gavaskar told India Today.He added, “Bowlers target that area and make mistakes. What worries me is that he has either not adjusted yet or is unable to change his style.”Abhishek’s struggles were evident again in the semi-final against the England cricket team. Trying to attack early, he fell into a trap set by spinner Wheeljack and was dismissed in just the second over after scoring nine runs.As an alternative, Gavaskar suggested bringing Rinku Singh into the side while adjusting the top order. In his proposed group, Ishan Kishan will partner with Sanju Samson at the top of the standings for the final.“I would like to see Ishan Kishan opening the batting with Sanju Samson, with Rinku Singh coming into the side. Rinku has that belief, you might have seen ‘God’s Plan’ tattooed on his body, and sometimes things go well with players like him,” Gavaskar said.The legendary batsman also hinted at another possible change in the bowling department. Varun Chakravarthy struggled to maintain his rhythm from the start of the Super 8 stage and endured a particularly tough match against England, conceding more than 60 runs four times during the semi-final.Gavaskar believes India could consider bringing in Kuldeep Yadav instead, especially given the circumstances in Ahmedabad.“The other change I would consider is bringing in Kuldeep Yadav. Varun Chakravarthy’s confidence seems shattered at the moment. Since the Super 8 stage, when he faced stronger teams, he has struggled and conceded a lot of kicks. In a stadium like the Narendra Modi Stadium, with big boundaries, Kuldeep Yadav could be a good option as he can turn the ball over even on flat surfaces,” Gavaskar said.