Home » Sports » Cricket

‘When you bat up to 8, you weaken your bowling’ – Sunil Gavaskar flags India’s T20I squad structure flaw under Gautam Gambhir

The cricket legend believes India's batting-heavy approach is undermining the team's bowling strength in T20 Internationals.

By Vishal Jagtap · Cric Tracker

Published: Monday, 19 October 2026 at 5:21 AM

Key Things to Know

Sunil Gavaskar criticized Gautam Gambhir's T20I team structure, claiming selecting eight batters severely weakens the bowling lineup.
Gavaskar urged India to pick at least four specialist regular bowlers alongside two batting all-rounders.
The criticism followed West Indies chasing down 249 runs in 18.3 overs against India in Ranchi.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticized India's T20I squad structure under head coach Gautam Gambhir, arguing that playing eight batters compromises bowling strength. Speaking on JioStar after West Indies chased 249 to beat India in Ranchi, Gavaskar warned that batting up to number eight weakens the bowling department and costs the team matches.

Gavaskar recommended that India select at least four specialist regular bowlers, supplemented by two all-rounders such as Axar Patel and Naman Dhir. He also noted that Hardik Pandya is irreplaceable and cautioned against forcing inferior like-for-like replacements.

Read the full article on Cric Tracker