Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has highlighted the key areas that India need to address if they want to win the next two World Cups. Austrslia will be hosting the T20 World Cup in 2022 followed by the 2023 50-Over World Cup which will be played in India. Earlier this year, India were knocked out from the T20 World cup in the league stage.

Talking to Mid-day, Sunil Gavaskar said that the Indian team needs two all-rounders if they need to give themselves the best chance of winning the next two World Cups.

If India Can Find Two All-Rounders For Nexy 2 World Cups: Sunil Gavaskar

“That team were full of all-rounders and that is the key especially in limited-overs cricket. Even the 2007 and 2011 teams had batsmen who could bowl and bowlers who were no bunnies with the bat. If India can find two all-rounders, then we will have a better chance in the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022 and in the 50 overs Cup at home in India in 2023.”

Gavaskar also said that the reason behind India winning the World Cup back in 1983 was the presence of many all-rounders in the lineup. The likes of Mohinder Amarnath, Madan Lal, Ravi Shastri and Roger Binny all all-rounders were a part of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning campaign.

“It was a squad of 14 players and one manager and we conquered the cricketing world. There were no field restrictions then, no limitations on the number of bouncers too and the red ball in English conditions which hardly stopped moving even after the shine was gone,” Gavaskar said about India’s 1983 World Cup.

Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar along with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are the options available for the Indian team at the moment. Venkatesh Iyer is another player who is being groomed as the all-round option and a potential replacement for Hardik Pandya.

Not Promising Future For Hardik Pandya

Pandya has been injury-prone recently and is working on his fitness at the NCA. A long-standing back injury has hindered him from bowling full throttle for the Indian cricket team across formats. He was seen bowling a few spells in the T20 World Cup.

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