Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan believes that the all-rounders are the biggest strength of current T20I team and highlighted how they relied on them to perform during the five-match series against Australia. After going 1-0 down to the hosts with a defeat in the second T20I, the Men in Blue made an exceptional comeback and won their next two matches before the final game got washed out due to rain. This saw the visitors clinch the series by 2-1, continuing their stellar record under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav.
Pathan on importance of all-rounders
Pathan credited the team's all-rounders for the series victory and pointed out how the likes of Axar Patel, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar contributed well in both the batting and bowling departments. He also highlighted how important the all-rounders are to the current team.
"We have seen some changes but there is a story in those. The strength of this team is the all-rounders. I’m focusing on all-rounders because Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel have been the biggest positives, especially Sundar as he’s not been a regular part of the T20I side. He got an opportunity and played a 49-run knock in Hobart. When he received an opportunity to bowl, he picked up three wickets. Shivam Dube has raised his stocks in bowling and it’s a huge factor for the Indian team, given Hardik Pandya’s injury that we saw in Asia Cup,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
Pathan further remarked the team has been planning for situations where they do not have the services of Hardik Pandya and are doing so by developing more all-rounders and constantly giving them chances. He pointed out how Dube has become a fast-bowler all-rounder while Nitish Kumar Reddy is another option in the same category. On the other hand, both Sundar and Axar are spin-bowling all-rounders.
"The way Indian team is planning, it’s rational because they don’t want if Pandya becomes injured ahead of any big matches, they don’t have options of all-rounders. Dube is now a seam-bowling all-rounder option. Nitish Kumar Reddy is yet another option,” Pathan stated.
India's next T20I opponent to be South Africa
Meanwhile, India's next T20I assignment will be a five-match home series against South Africa that will begin from December 9. Notably, the Men in Blue had defeated the Proteas in the previous T20I assignment that they had played against them in 2024. Suryakumar Yadav & Co. had prevailed over South Africa on their home soil by 3-1.