Don’t Overthink Hardik Pandya’s Replacement, Says Gavaskar

Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has advised the team management against overthinking the search for Hardik Pandya’s replacement. He believes finding a player who matches Pandya’s all-round abilities is difficult and suggested considering players with different skill sets instead. Gavaskar cited Naman Dhir as a potential option, pointing to his batting performance in the fifth T20I against the West Indies. He also noted that Dhir could contribute by completing his share of overs with the ball.

Gavaskar said India must learn from the West Indies series and focus on strengthening its bowling attack. He recommended playing at least four specialist bowlers, with two all-rounders among the remaining seven players. According to him, all-rounders who can contribute with both bat and ball would provide the team with greater balance. He cautioned that prioritising batting depth until the ninth position could weaken the bowling unit and allow opponents to gain the upper hand. He urged the management to focus on bowling strength rather than concentrating excessively on finding a like-for-like replacement for Pandya.