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Cricket PlayersGautam Gambhir told to give ‘break’ to Abhishek Sharma for T20 World Cup final: ‘He's not a finished product'
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif wants Abhishek Sharma to be dropped for the T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand.
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif minced no words as he urged the head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav to drop Abhishek Sharma for the all-important T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The left-handed batter has been woefully out of form in the tenth edition of the tournament, surpassing the 50-run mark just once. The campaign has seen Abhishek lose his wicket to spinners on four occasions, and the teams have adopted the ploy of employing a spinner right in the powerplay.
More often than not, he has fallen to the plan. Throughout the tournament, Abhishek has failed to develop a contingency plan to take his time and rotate the strike. The tactic to go after the bowling right from the start has backfired.
To make matters worse for Abhishek, he fell ill right before the start of the T20 World Cup, after suffering a stomach infection. He had to be hospitalised and has clearly lost some kilos. This has messed up his bat swing, and the batter seems low on confidence, which is even showing in his fielding, as he dropped two chances against the West Indies in the Super 8s match.
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Keeping all this in mind, Kaif said that Abhishek can be dropped and Rinku Singh can be brought into the playing XI.
“India can give Abhishek Sharma a break. He has played many matches now. There is no harm in making changes. You can make changes in the shortest format. Roston Chase opened against India as Brandon King was out of form. They backed him for five or six matches, but they gave him a break for a big match. I believe that, like you brought in Sanju, and he did a great job, so that change worked in your favour,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
“India have proven players. Rinku Singh scores runs everywhere, be it Tests, Ranji Trophy, or the IPL. Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj also take wickets everywhere. When you look in the dugout to see who can replace Abhishek Sharma, you see Rinku Singh sitting there. So, bring him in. A guy is struggling, and another guy is sitting outside despite doing well,” he added.
‘Difference between Sanju and Abhishek’
Abhishek's poor form up top also led management to bring Sanju Samson back into the mix. And the batter has not looked back since then, winning consecutive Player of the Match accolades for his match-winning knocks against the West Indies and England.
Kaif also highlighted the difference between Samson and Abhishek, saying the latter is inexperienced in playing in World Cups, and that is clearly evident in his gameplay under pressure.
“The biggest difference between Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson is that Abhishek Sharma is still quite new to ICC events. He has a fantastic record, if you leave ICC events aside. There is a big difference when playing in an ICC event like the World Cup," said Kaif.
“Sanju has scored over 8000 runs in T20S. Be it the runs or six-hitting ability, his name comes in the top 10 in the IPL. He is already an established player. Abhishek Sharma is still young and has to work on his game. He is not a finished product. Don’t compare him with Sanju. Sanju is already a finished product. He made his India debut 11 years ago,” he concluded.
