Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has issued a serious warning to the Men in Blue regarding the playing XI ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 final against the New Zealand national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.
There are some concerns in the Indian camp, including the clash between Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy, and many have already called for a bold move to the summit clash, and now the former Indian captain has also joined the long list.
Sunil Gavaskar calls upon Abhishek Sharma to take bold steps
The 1983 World Cup winner believes the defending champions need to make a bold move for the T20 World Cup 2026 final against the Black Caps. The great batsman believes that the team management should think seriously about keeping Abhishek Sharma out of the title contest, as the young opener has already got enough chances despite his consistent struggles.
Also read: Finn Allen rejects Jasprit Bumrah’s threat, promises brutal attack in T20 World Cup final
Abhishek Sharma’s performance in the ongoing showpiece event has not lived up to the expectations. The aggressive left-hander has scored only 89 runs and been out for a duck three times, putting extra pressure on the Indian batting lineup in the tournament.
Gavaskar criticized Abhishek Sharma’s spin struggles
One of the biggest problems with Abhishek’s batting is his frequent struggles against spin bowling. The opposing teams understood his weakness and started attacking him with spinners right at the beginning of the innings. Gavaskar said that despite facing the same problem again and again in the tournament, the young player has not changed his approach, so now the time has come to bench him.
Sunil Gavaskar was quoted in India Today as saying: “It is a very difficult decision. Abhishek Sharma is the No. 1 batsman in the ICC T20 rankings, but he has not learned anything from his dismissals. He keeps getting out in the same areas, where his arms are tight for room. The bowlers are targeting that area and making mistakes. My concern is that he is either not adjusted yet or is unable to change his approach.”
Rinku Singh backs surprise entry into finals
The legendary opening batsman has demanded the inclusion of Rinku Singh in the playing eleven for the final against the Black Caps as he suggested that Ishan Kishan should open with Sanju Samson at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Also read: Rohit Sharma breaks silence on raising Sanju Samson after being ruled out of T20 World Cup 2026
Gavaskar said, “I would like to see Ishan Kishan opening the batting with Sanju Samson, with Rinku Singh coming into the team. Rinku believes so; you might have seen the ‘God’s Plan’ tattoo on his body, and sometimes things work out for players like him.”
Gavaskar wants Kuldeep Yadav to be replaced by Varun Chakraborty
Speaking about Varun Chakravarthy, who has given a lot of runs in the recent matches, Gavaskar feels that the Men in Blue may consider bringing in wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav into the squad for the final, given his ability to spin the ball even on flat pitches.
He said, “The other change I would consider is to bring in Kuldeep Yadav. Varun Chakravarthy’s confidence seems to be shattered at the moment. Since the Super Eight stage, when he has faced strong teams, he has struggled and given away a lot of runs. On a ground like Narendra Modi Stadium, with big boundaries, Kuldeep Yadav can be a good option as he can rotate the ball even on flat surfaces.”
