'He can serve India in all three formats': Gavaskar identifies 24-year-old batter as 'fabulous talent'

Harshal Patel, Venkatesh Iyer and Avesh Khan received maiden call-ups, while Orange Cap winner Ruturaj Gaikwad was recalled after the Sri Lanka tour.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is thrilled to see IPL youngsters getting awarded for their incredible show. As many as four Indian cricketers earned a place in the T20I squad for the upcoming home series against New Zealand, starting from November 17. Harshal Patel, Venkatesh Iyer and Avesh Khan received maiden call-ups, while Orange Cap winner Ruturaj Gaikwad was recalled after the Sri Lanka tour.

Ruturaj Gaikwad plays a cut shot during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy match against Punjab, in Lucknow, on Friday. (SOURCED)

While Gavaskar was pleased with the inclusion of all four players, the India legend was particularly impressed with Gaikwad. The Chennai Super Kings batter, 24, finished IPL 2021 as the highest run-getter, accumulating 635 runs from 16 outings. The right-handed batter made his international debut during India’s limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka but failed to make an impact.

And now, with a second opportunity awaiting, Gavaskar has high expectations from the youngster as he backs the batter to become an all-format player for India in the future.

"I think he is a fabulous talent. He can serve India in all three formats in the time to come. He has got the range of shots and great shot selection. He's got the technique and he has shown the temperament to deal with any kind of pressure. It's an exciting time to see how he develops as an international cricketer," Gavaskar said on Sports Today.

While Gaikwad has been in terrific touch, the likes of Harshal, Avesh and Iyer haven’t been too far behind. Harshal emerged as the leading wicket-taker of IPL 2021, claiming 32 wickets – which is the joint-highest in a single edition of the tournament, while Avesh was second in the list grabbing 24 wickets. Iyer, meanwhile, was the find of the season, playing his first game in the second half of the tournament and finishing with 370 runs from 10 matches.