Sunil Gavaskar says Hardik Pandya is irreplaceable, urges different roles
Sunil Gavaskar believes India should stop looking for a direct replacement for Hardik Pandya and instead focus on building a balanced bowling attack with four specialist bowlers and all-rounders.
Sunil Gavaskar urged India not to hunt for another Hardik Pandya and to stop stretching the batting order to eight. He wants the side to field four specialist bowlers, letting the fifth and sixth come from all-rounders who can bat. The former captain said this approach keeps the attack stronger and prevents the team from being exposed on the field.
Gavaskar cited Naman Dhir as the kind of player who fits that plan, noting that Dhir bowls his two or three overs well and can hit quick runs lower down. He also pointed to Axar Patel, who bowls his full four overs. Gavaskar added that the rain-washed fifth T20I in Bengaluru robbed India of a chance to test the attack in a nine-over game, leaving the five-match series drawn 2-2.
He warned that the moment India go with batting up to number eight, they weaken their bowling and that is where they get beaten. The former captain said India tend to get carried away trying to find a direct replacement when the better option is to accept different roles from different players.
CricHubb Take
The suggestion to use two all-rounders as the fifth and sixth bowlers implies India may need to change its squad composition for the 2027 World Cup rather than searching for one player to fill Pandya's exact shoes.