New Delhi, 19 October 2026: Veteran Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar is unhappy with Team India's performance in the recent T20 series against West Indies. Questioning the strategy of head coach Gautam Gambhir, he has clearly said that due to keeping the option of batting till number eight in the playing eleven, the team's bowling is becoming weak. According to Gavaskar, India should focus more on improving the bowling balance rather than increasing the depth of the batting.
Sunil Gavaskar said that there should be four specialist bowlers in the playing eleven of the Indian team, while the role of the fifth and sixth bowlers can be played by all-rounders. Giving the example of Naman Dheer and Akshar Patel, he said that these players can contribute in batting along with bowling. Gavaskar criticized and said, 'When you try to keep batting till number eight, then the bowling becomes weak and the result comes in the form of defeat. It is necessary to have four regular bowlers in the Indian team.
Gavaskar believes that the team management is wasting more time than necessary in finding a replacement for a player like Hardik Pandya. Hardik makes amazing contributions in both batting and bowling, but it is not easy to replace him exactly. He advised, 'If you do not find a replacement for Hardik, then go with a player who can play a slightly different role.' Citing the example of Naman Dheer, he said that he is doing well in bowling and is impressing in batting as well.
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Cheteshwar Pujaran's advice on selection of spin bowlers
Former Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has also presented his views on the team's bowling lineup. He said that the team management will have to clarify the role of spin bowlers and assure the players that they are part of the long-term plan. Pujara added, 'If the boundary is small, then Kuldeep Yadav cannot play every match. After Varun Chakraborty, India should promote one of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi or consider other options. Constantly bowling expensive overs can demotivate the spinners' confidence in the shorter form of the game, hence it is important to give the players enough opportunities.