“Move on and try to develop people at Ranji Trophy” - Gautam Gambhir wants hunt for next Kapil Dev to end
Former India batter Gautam Gambhir has opined that the team’s think tank needs to move on from their never-ending hunt for a fast-bowling all-rounder. According to Gambhir, India need to groom youngsters at the domestic level, and not expect them to deliver directly at the international level.
India’s search for a fast-bowling all-rounder following the retirement of Kapil Dev in 1994 continues to this day. The likes of Ajit Agarkar, Irfan Pathan and, more recently, Hardik Pandya, raised hopes briefly.
Speaking to Sports Today, Gambhir said that searching for a fast-bowling all-rounder is a futile exercise unless the skills of players are developed at the first-class level. He elaborated in this regard:
"If you don't have something, don't go for it. You have to accept and move on. Don't try and create something which you can't create; that is where the problem lies."
"I have always believed that international cricket is all about delivering and not grooming someone. Grooming happens in domestic and India A level. When you represent your country, you should be ready to go out there, and perform straightaway.”
Gambhir added, while speaking on India’s all-rounder conundrum:
"We keep talking about not having an all-rounder since Kapil Dev, to be honest. So move on and try to develop people at the Ranji Trophy, and once they get ready, get them in international cricket.”
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India were banking on Pandya to deliver the goods, having given him a long run in international cricket. However, the 28-year-old has hardly bowled since his back surgery in 2019, and his batting too has significantly dipped.
Don’t keep changing them quickly - Gautam Gambhir
After Hardik Pandya was dropped following the T20 World Cup 2021, India picked Venkatesh Iyer for the New Zealand T20Is.
The all-rounder featured in two games in the ODI series in South Africa. However, he did not bowl in the first game, and was dropped for the last. Now, he has not been picked in the one-day squad for the West Indies series. Expressing displeasure with the chopping and changing policy, Gambhir advised:
“Stick with them. Don't keep changing them quickly. We have seen that with so many guys like Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube and now Venkatesh Iyer. We need to move on.”
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While Iyer has been dropped from the ODI squad, he has retained his place in the T20I series against the West Indies.