Heading into the T20 World Cup 2026, Abhishek Sharma was expected to be India's destroyer-in-chief. However, the southpaw has failed to live up to the hype until the semifinal.

While Abhishek failed to open his account in the Group A fixtures against USA, Pakistan and Netherlands, he managed to score 15 off 12 balls in the Super 8 opener against South Africa.

The swashbuckling left-hander showed a glimpse of his brilliance when he made 55 off 30 balls versus Zimbabwe, but registered another low score (10 off 11) in India’s do-or-die Super 8 clash against the West Indies.

Sharma also endured failure in the semifinal against England, scoring 9 off 7 balls before being dismissed.

The defending champions are set to face New Zealand in the all-important final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (March 8).

Ahead of the title clash, former cricketer Mohammad Kaif has suggested the Indian team management to drop Abhishek Sharma and bring Rinku Singh 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.

Abhishek's poor form also prompted the management to bring Sanju Samson back into the lineup. And the wicketkeeper-batter has not looked back since then, winning back-to-back Player-of-the-Match awards in knockout games against the West Indies and England.

Kaif also pointed out the difference between Samson and Abhishek, saying the latter is inexperienced in playing global events and it shows in his gameplay.

“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," Kaif remarked.

“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.