‘Hardik Pandya is irreplaceable’: Sunil Gavaskar believes India should stop looking for a direct replacement for the all-rounder

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes India should stop looking for a direct replacement for Hardik Pandya as the all-rounder brings a unique combination of batting and bowling that is hard to match.Instead, he advised the team to consider players who can fill different roles while maintaining a strong bowling attack.Gavaskar shared his views after India’s five-match T20I series against the West Indies ended in a 2-2 draw. The final match in Bengaluru was abandoned due to rain.

Gavaskar wants India to strengthen their bowling

Gavaskar suggested that India should play at least four specialist bowlers and use all-rounders as the fifth and sixth bowler options. He warned that picking too many batsmen could weaken the bowling unit and cost India matches.“Sometimes we get a bit carried away trying to find a replacement for Hardik Pandya. Hardik Pandya is irreplaceable. If you can’t find someone of his calibre, go with someone who will do a slightly different job,” Gavaskar said on JioStar.He pointed to Naman Dhir as an example of a player who can contribute with both bat and ball. Dhir scored an unbeaten 24 off just six balls in the rain-hit T20I final.“Naman Dhir is doing that. He bowls his overs well and look how he batted in this game,” he said.Gavaskar also emphasized the importance of supporting the spin bowlers and helping them maintain their confidence even if they are not regular members of the playing XI.“The minute you get to batting at number eight, you weaken your bowling and that’s where you get beaten,” he said.

Chopra reviews Abhishek Sharma’s performance

Gavaskar added that the deserted final denied India a chance to judge their bowling in the shortened match.Former India opener Aakash Chopra also reviewed Abhishek Sharma’s performance and said that the left-handed batsman was not at his usual best during the series. However, he emphasized that inconsistent performances are normal when batting aggressively.“The last game he didn’t get a lot of hits, he looked a little scratchy. He didn’t get any rhythm at all, and let’s put aside what happened in this game. So he was a little bit below his standards in the series, but that’s going to happen.”Chopra added that players aiming for around 200 cannot be expected to score consistently in every match.