Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has endorsed Varun Chakaravarthy and Abhishek Sharma to be part of India’s playing XI for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Chopra expressed confidence in the current team and suggested maintaining the same lineup for the crucial match. Despite their inconsistent performances in the tournament, Chopra emphasized his support for both Varun and Abhishek, highlighting the team’s success in reaching the final.
Chopra acknowledged the challenges faced by Abhishek Sharma, who has struggled to score runs in the ongoing competition, with only 89 runs across seven innings at an average of 12.71. Despite a notable 55-run innings against Zimbabwe, Abhishek faced difficulties in providing consistent starts at the top of the order, recording three ducks against the USA, Pakistan, and the Netherlands. On the other hand, Varun Chakravarthy, who initially performed well in the group stage, encountered issues in the Super 8s and the semi-final matches, posing concerns for the team.
In his assessment of the potential playing XI, Aakash Chopra suggested a lineup that includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson as wicketkeeper, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav as captain, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh for the final showdown against New Zealand.
