Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has sent a strong message to the current Indian team management and the national selectors over their search for a direct replacement for the injury-prone star all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

The legendary batter said that Hardik brings a special mix of batting and bowling that is very difficult to find in another player, so the Indian think tank must stop their search for his replacement. Earlier, Ravichandran Ashwin fears the worst for Kuldeep Yadav under Gautam Gambhir.

Sunil Gavaskar tells India what to do instead of searching for Hardik Pandya's replacement

Sunil Gavaskar advised Indian team management and the national selectors to focus on building a balanced team instead of searching for another Hardik Pandya. He wants the team to play at least four specialist bowlers and use all-rounders as the fifth and sixth bowling options.

The legendary cricketer shared his views after India's five-match T20I series against the West Indies ended in a 2-2 draw on October 17. The fifth and final match in Bengaluru was abandoned due to rain, leaving India without a chance to test their bowling attack in the shortened game.

Sunil Gavaskar said on JioStar, “We didn’t get to see the bowling. It would have been interesting to see how the Indians bowled in this nine-over game. The takeaway from the series is that, in their bowling, they have to play with at least four regular bowlers. A fifth bowler and a sixth can be your all-rounders, somebody who can bat as well.”

Sunil Gavaskar names Naman Dhir as India's backup option

The former Indian captain has further suggested Naman Dhir as a player who can contribute with both bat and ball. Dhir showed his batting power in the rain-hit final T20I by scoring an unbeaten 24 runs off just six balls.

Gavaskar believes that the players, like Dhir, can take up different roles in the team, and the team management should make combinations accordingly. Amid this, Abhishek Sharma snubbed as Abhinav Mukund names India’s top 3 all-time T20I batters.

The cricket pandit further said, “Somebody like Naman Dhir, who’s more of a batter but who can come in and bowl two or three overs. Axar Patel, who can bowl his four overs.”

Hardik Pandya is irreplaceable: Sunil Gavaskar's strong message amid his injury concerns

Calling Hardik Pandya irreplaceable, the 1983 World Cup winner said, "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.”

Pandya is currently out of action due to recurring fitness issues and will miss India's upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand, starting on October 22. Keeping the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup in mind, the all-rounder has shifted his training base to Bengaluru.

He is now working under the medical supervision of the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) to manage his recovery and workload and improve his fitness for the long term.

Sunil Gavaskar warns India against batting till No. 8

Well, the former Indian captain stressed that the team management must continue to trust their spin bowlers and keep their confidence high, even when they are not regulars in the playing XI. He warned that selecting batters until number eight can weaken India’s bowling attack.

Gavaskar stressed, “Naman Dhir is doing that job. He’s bowling his overs well, and look at the way he batted in this game. So, that is what India needs to do because the moment you go with batting up to number eight, you weaken your bowling, and that’s where you get beaten.”