Not a fan of 8 batters, Gavaskar wants urgent change in Indian T20I team

Sunil Gavaskar has called for a change in India's T20I combination after their bowling struggles against West Indies. He has argued that playing eight batters is not the best strategy for the Indian team.Sunil Gavaskar wants India to change their team combination. (PTI Photo)Bengaluru,Oct 18, 2026 08:56 ISTIndia drew their five-match T20I series against West Indies after the Bengaluru decider was washed out due to rain on Sunday, October 17. Speaking after the abandonment of the fifth T20I, Shreyas Iyer rued India's poor bowling in the series and stated that the result of the contest could have been different if they had bowled better.Poor lengths marred India's bowling performance in almost all the matches, as West Indies scored 200-plus runs in three of the four innings in which they batted during the series. Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar argued that it made little sense for India to play with eight batters, as it weakened the team's bowling attack."It could have been different considering we would have bowled better in the second and fourth game. Credit where it is due, they batted well. The way (Shai) Hope batted throughout the series," Shreyas said after the final T20I.HOW MANY BOWLERS ARE INDIA PLAYING?Shreyas Iyer's Indian team opted to play with only three specialist bowlers for the majority of the series. Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav were the full-time bowlers the last time West Indies batted in the series, during the fourth T20I. They were supported by an army of all-rounders, with Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel and Naman Dhir giving India six bowling options in total.The choice of combination, of course, affected India's bowling depth and allowed the West Indies batters to go berserk. Shai Hope's team scored 240-plus runs in two separate matches, eking out a 2-2 draw in the five-match series. India vs West Indies, 5th T20I: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARDGavaskar suggested that India should opt for four specialist bowlers in their line-up, with two all-rounders supporting them. The former cricketer said Axar and Naman Dhir could complement the four specialist bowlers, giving India greater depth in their bowling attack.He also argued that India should not get carried away while looking for a like-for-like replacement for Hardik Pandya."India have to play with at least 4 regular bowlers, and a 5th and 6th bowling all-rounders who can bat as well, possibly Axar Patel and Naman Dhir. I think sometimes we get carried away trying to find a replacement for Hardik Pandya. Hardik is irreplaceable. If you cannot find someone of his calibre, then go with somebody who will do a different job. Naman Dhir is doing that job. I think that's what India need to do," Gavaskar said on the broadcast."Axar Patel is your fifth regular bowler. When you bat up to 8, you weaken your bowling, and that's where you get beaten," he added.GAVASKAR'S ARGUMENT HAS A FLAWWhile Gavaskar's argument has merit, it needs to be noted that India have relied on T20 specialists throughout Gautam Gambhir's tenure, giving them an edge over other teams in the world. The use of specialists has allowed India to maintain a long batting line-up, essentially aiding their slam-bang approach to high-risk, high-reward cricket.The best example of this approach came in the semi-final of the 2026 T20 World Cup against England, where India scored 253 in Mumbai before defending the total by seven runs in an absolute thriller.While England pushed India in the semi-final, the hosts dominated the final against New Zealand, scoring 255 runs. Such a total would have been difficult to achieve if India had opted for four specialist bowlers and two all-rounders.- Ends