Hardik Pandya is irreplaceable, says Sunil Gavaskar as he urges India to stop hunting a direct replacement

Gavaskar says India should stop chasing a Hardik Pandya clone

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes India should stop searching for a direct replacement for Hardik Pandya, arguing that the all-rounder brings a unique mix of batting and bowling that is difficult to match. Instead, he has advised the team to pick players who can fill different roles while keeping a strong bowling attack.

Gavaskar shared his views after India's five-match T20I series against the West Indies ended 2-2. The final match in Bengaluru was abandoned due to rain.

"We sometimes get a little bit carried away with trying to find a replacement for Hardik Pandya. Hardik Pandya is irreplaceable. If you can't find somebody of his calibre, then go with somebody who will do a slightly different job," Gavaskar said on JioStar.

Four specialist bowlers, all-rounders as back-up

Gavaskar suggested that India should play at least four specialist bowlers, with all-rounders used as the fifth and sixth bowling options. He warned that selecting too many batters could weaken the bowling unit and cost India matches.

"The moment you go with batting up to number eight, you weaken your bowling, and that's where you get beaten," he said.

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 final T20I. "Naman Dhir is doing that job. He's bowling his overs well, and look at the way he batted in this game," Gavaskar said.

Gavaskar also stressed the importance of backing spin bowlers and helping them maintain confidence, even when they are not regular members of the playing XI. He added that the abandoned final denied India a chance to assess their bowling in a shortened match.

Aakash Chopra on Abhishek Sharma's dip in form

Former India opener Aakash Chopra also reviewed Abhishek Sharma's performance, saying the left-handed batter was not at his usual best during the series. However, he stressed that inconsistent returns are normal in an aggressive batting approach.

"In the last game, when he didn't get much strike, he looked a bit scratchy. He didn't get any rhythm at all, and let's discount whatever happened in this game. So, he was a bit below par by his standards in the series, but that is also going to happen."

Chopra added that players aiming for strike rates around 200 cannot be expected to score consistently in every match.