Former Indian opening batter Wasim Jaffer has shared his views on India’s major weakness despite a seven-wicket win in the first T20I against Afghanistan on Sunday, September 13, in Delhi.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer asserted that India struggled badly with their fifth bowling option in Hardik Pandya’s absence. Interestingly, Shreyas Iyer used Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, and Shivam Dube for the fifth bowling option in the first T20I.
“The one thing that is a matter of concern is the fifth bowler. Nitish Reddy and Shivam Dube were expensive. It is going to be a concern when Hardik Pandya is not playing,” Jaffer said.
“When Hardik is not there, there is a problem. They tried Abhishek Sharma as well, who I think is a good option. But India will have to keep an eye on the fifth or sixth bowlers as we prepare for the World Cup,” Jaffer added.
Further, Jaffer added that Hardik Pandya must stay fit ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup 2027, in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. He went on to add that India still doesn’t have a like-for-like replacement for the veteran all-rounder.
“Keeping the ODI World Cup in mind, Hardik is a big factor, and his presence is very important. He could be the third or fourth seamer in the World Cup in South Africa. In that sense, it is very important for Hardik to be fit because we still don’t have a like-for-like replacement for him,” he noted.
“Hardik Pandya is a notch above the replacements that we have, whether it is Shivam Dube or Nitish Kumar Reddy; no one is at the level of Hardik Pandya right now,” he concluded.
