“He is unable to change his approach” - Sunil Gavaskar wants Team India to make two changes to their XI vs New Zealand

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has reckoned that Team India should make two changes for the grand finale against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.

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Notably, Sharma has accumulated only 89 runs from seven innings at an average of 12.71 and a strike rate of 130.88 with a half-century in the ongoing showpiece event. Interestingly, his scores in the campaign read 0, 0, 0, 15, 55, 10 and 9.

Speaking exclusively on India Today, Gavaskar opined that Sharma hasn’t adjusted yet and he is unable to change his approach, getting out in the same region where his arms are cramped for room. Moreover, he wanted Rinku Singh to be included in the middle-order with Ishan Kishan moving up the order as an opener.

"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.

"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.

Furthermore, the former India captain also requested for a change in the bowling department, replacing out-of-form spinner Varun Chakravarthy with left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI.

"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 concluded.

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