'I'm not even sure what kind of a future he has': Gavaskar suggests break for veteran India cricketer, names replacement

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is highly uncertain about the road ahead for the 32-year-old player and feels it may not be a bad idea for him to take a break and move back to the basics.

With two major ICC events lined up in the next two years, it is time for Team India to identify players with potential to form the core of the two squads. While the onus is on India to win at least one of the two World Cup tournaments, there will be even more pressure to lift the 2023 World Cup as it is being held on home soil. Additionally, with so much depth in the pool of players that is available, it promises be a tricky scenario for the selectors when the time comes to narrow down on candidates for the squads.

Sunil Gavaskar has given his verdict on under-fire India pacer.  (Getty Images)

While most of the batting picks for itself, the fast-bowling unit is likely to throw the selectors in a quandary. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami appear certainties, but who will be the third seamer to support them remains a mystery. Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Mohammed Siraj are contenders, but the one name that may find itself tough to make it in the list is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In fact, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is highly uncertain about the road ahead for the 32-year-old quick and feels it may not be a bad idea for Bhuvneshwar to take a break and move back to the basics to fine tune his skills.

“The one name that comes to my mind is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. I am not even sure what kind of a future he has anymore. He has lost out on pace, the accuracy he had at the start where he was getting the ball to move and get the wickets and then again towards the end over, the way he was coming and bowling, that has probably deserted him and it’s time for him to go back to the basics and work hard. That’s the one name that comes to mind,” Gavaskar said on Sports Today.

Gavaskar feels the time has come to give Deepak Chahar more chances. Not only can Chahar be a like-for-like replacement for Bhuvneshwar with the ball, he is also capable of batting well down the order. He has scored two ODI half-centuries – the second of which coming recently in an ODI against South Africa, which nearly saw India through – and Gavaskar is certain that Chahar can be that third-pace option for India going ahead, while Bhuvneshwar can seek time to work on his bowling.

“I think it’s time to look maybe at Deepak Chahar now. Younger man, who is pretty much a similar bowler, swings it both ways and bat handily down the order. Bhuvi has been a tremendous servant of Indian cricket, but in the last year or so, even in T20 cricket for the franchise, he has been expensive. Not maybe so much at the start of the innings, but towards the end, where he used to bowl those brilliant yorker and slower deliveries, those are not working anymore. And that can happen, because the opposition is studying you all the time. So maybe it is time to look at somebody else,” added the former India batter.