India prepares to face New Zealand national cricket team in T20 World Cup final Narendra Modi Former captain Sunil Gavaskar at the Stadium suggested bold changes to the starting XI. The 1983 World Cup winner feels India should consider dropping Abhishek Sharma due to the opener’s prolonged struggles with the bat in the ongoing tournament.Abhishek has had a tough journey in the 10th ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The left-hander has scored just 89 runs so far at an average of 12.71. His numbers would have looked worse had it not been for a half-century against the Zimbabwe National Cricket Team at the Super Eight stage. Shockingly for India, Abhishek was dismissed for ducks three times in the tournament and fell off spin bowling four times.
Gavaskar pointed out that the bigger problem was not just absences, but repeated dismissals. According to him, bowlers always target specific areas while batsmen find it difficult to adapt to his methods.“It was a very tough decision. Abhishek Sharma is the No. 1 batsman in the ICC T20 rankings but he has not learned his lesson from being dismissed. He is always getting out in the same area with limited arm space,” Gavaskar told India Today.“The bowler targets that area and forces misses. My concern is that he either hasn’t adjusted yet or can’t change his approach,” he added.Abhishek’s struggles were evident again in the semi-final against England Cricket Team. He tried to attack early but fell into a 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 one side while reshuffling the deck. Among the combinations he suggested, Ishan Kishan will be paired with Sanju Samson for the finals.“I would like to see Ishan Kishan start the batting with Sanju Samson and have Rinku Singh join in the side. Rinku has this belief, you may have seen the ‘God’s Plan’ tattoo on his body, that sometimes things work out for a player like him,” Gavaskar said.The legendary batsman also hinted at another possible change in the bowling department. Varun Chakravarthy has struggled to find his rhythm since the start of the Super 8 stage and endured a particularly tough match against England, conceding over 60 runs in four overs in the semi-finals.Gavaskar feels that India could consider bringing in Kuldeep Yadav, especially considering the conditions in Ahmedabad.“Another change that I am considering is bringing in Kuldeep Yadav. Varun Chakravarthy’s confidence looks dashed at the moment. He has been struggling and conceding a lot of runs since the Super Eight phase when he faced stronger teams. In a venue with big boundaries like the Narendra Modi Stadium, Kuldeep Yadav could be a good option as he can spin the ball even on a flat surface,” Gavaskar said.
