"India need more pace in their bowling attack" - Salman Butt
Ex-Pakistan opener Salman Butt believes Team India must add bowlers who can bowl genuine pace in order to be successful in T20Is. He feels that the side are overly reliant on their batting and must look to assemble a stronger fast bowling unit for the shortest format.
Butt made these remarks while speaking on his YouTube channel following India's thumping seven-wicket over Sri Lanka in the second T20I of their three-match series on Saturday.
While he did not name any particular seamer, he suggested that variations cannot be a substitute for genuine pace.
"India are relying on their batting in T20Is. They need more pace in their bowling attack. No matter how many variations you have as a medium-pacer, you cannot match the impact genuine pace can make on a good T20 wicket. Anything below 135 kmph makes absolutely no impact on a batter."
Butt, in his video, added that the Men in Blue must look to play bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in T20Is as they have the ability to trouble the opposition batters with their speed.
The Indian batters took the Sri Lankan bowlers to the cleaners on Saturday and chased down a stiff total of 183 in the 18th over itself. Shreyas Iyer was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his unbeaten knock of 74.
Apart from Iyer, the likes of Sanju Samson (39) and Ravindra Jadeja (45*) also contributed significantly with the bat to help India take an unassible 2-0 lead in the T20I series against Sri Lanka.
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"You cannot look to score 20 runs in every over" - Salman Butt's advice for Sanju Samson
The former cricketer reckoned that Sanju Samson must learn to pace his innings better if he wants to score big runs consistently. He pointed out how the right-handed batter got out while trying to play a big shot against Lahiru Kumara.
Butt opined that Samson had already hit three sixes in that particular over and hence, there was no need for him to play such a shot on the final ball of the over.
He added:
"Sanju Samson has a lot of shots up his sleeve along with power. He clears the ropes effortlessly. But he does not apply break in the middle.
"In this game too, he got out while trying to hit a six in an over in which he had already slammed 3 sixes. You cannot look to score 20 runs in every over."
India and Sri Lanka will lock horns in the third and final fixture of their T20I series on Sunday (February 27) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
Watch Salman Butt's full video here: