India should drop Abhishek Sharma for T20 World Cup final: Sunil Gavaskar

Legendary former India captain Sunil Gavaskar urged the Indian team management to drop the out-of-form Abhishek Sharma from the playing XI for Sunday’s T20 World Cup final against New Zealand. The high-voltage encounter is set to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Abhishek has had a woeful campaign so far in the tournament. In seven matches, he has only scored 89 runs at a paltry average of 12.71. He registered only one half-century, and it was against Zimbabwe on a flat track at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Instead of Abhishek, Gavaskar wants the Indian team management to give an opportunity to Rinku Singh, who played the first five games in the tournament before being left out.

“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. 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,” Gavaskar told India Today.

The cricketer-turned-commentator believes that Ishan Kishan should be promoted to open the batting along with the in-form Sanju Samson, with Rinku slotting in down the order.

“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 added.

Varun Chakravarthy’s confidence looks shattered at the moment: Gavaskar

Gavaskar also suggested another change in the playing XI for the big final. Instead of Varun Chakaravarthy, who has conceded runs at an economy rate of over 11 in the last four matches, the former India cricketer wants Kuldeep Yadav to get a go. The latter has played only one game in the tournament so far, which was against Pakistan in Colombo.

“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.