The team management needs to know the importance of match-winning players instead of random combinations.
The Indian Cricket Team is undoubtedly playing at their best capacity in every series they participate in currently. The three championship trophies in the past three years were not just a random fluke. But there is a major issue plaguing the Indian team for many years. The consistency of the team is scattered off the charts. On some days, the team performs like the best outfit in international cricket. On other days, it looks like Indians forgot how to play cricket at all.
This inconsistency does not arise from lack of talent. It comes from the lack of stability. A few days ago, Indian captain Shubman Gill pleaded with the team management to decide on a permanent team already. Every other series and every other tournament keeps shuffling the active roster. At this point, it has become incredibly difficult to determine which players are performing well or not. With the 2027 World Cup looming on the Indian team’s head, a set roster with proven players has become a necessity.
Indian expert bashes Gautam Gambhir’s obsession with all-rounder players
Now cricket is a game primarily played between a batsman and bowler. But just like other sports, it requires a third player who can fill in both gaps whenever the need arises. These players are called all-rounders, and they can come in clutch in a variety of situations. Unfortunately, though, no team can build itself entirely around all-rounders.
Sanjar Manjrekar had the same idea when he criticized the team management for their recent performance. "The Indian team's obsession with all-rounders will never stop under Gautam Gambhir. They try all sorts of so-called all-rounders in every format. We have seen the likes of Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Shivam Dube in shorter format apart from Hardik Pandya.
“I can say only Axar Patel has lived up to the expectations. I don't see any other player winning a match singlehandedly. They score some with the bat, bowl an over here & there. Indian management is not learning their lesson. Hence, we are seeing such indifferent results in every format for India.”
This flaw was very clearly visible in the last match against West Indies. In the second T20I against the Caribbeans, the Indians lost the game rather desperately. While the batting lineup managed to score 249 runs, the bowlers were thrashed mercilessly and couldn’t defend a magnanimous score like that either.
What feels off is that in the last match itself they had played extremely well and restricted the West Indies to less than 180 runs in 20 overs. It’s natural, therefore, that questions will arise about the team’s ability to play good cricket for sustained periods.
