IND vs SL 2022: It’s a great problem to have – Sunil Gavaskar on India’s bench strength

As Shreyas Iyer was able to grab his chance in the recently concluded against Sri Lanka, there will be selection headaches for the team management when the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav will get back into the team.

Iyer was given the onus of batting at one-down and he was able to stand tall to the challenge.

The right-hander returned with scores of 57*, 74*, 73* and thus looked in ominous form. In fact, Iyer remained unbeaten throughout the series as he batted at the top of his game. Iyer amassed 204 runs in three T20Is at an impressive strike rate of 174.36.

Iyer scored a fine knock of 73 runs off 45 balls in the third T20I at Dharamshala to help his team chase down 147 runs with ease in the end. Thus, he was awarded the Player of the Match as well as Player of the Series for his fine performance with the bat.

“It’s a great problem to have. Obviously, Virat Kohli can’t be replaced. He will probably come in at No.3, there is no question about it. But then you can use somebody like a Shreyas Iyer at No.4 or 5. Suryakumar, the way he has been batting, he is got to be included. It is just the plus, plus as far as the team is concerned,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

“There are so many options. And it allows you to go in with pure bowlers and not bowlers who can bat. With a top-batting line-up, you can go in with someone like Mohammed Siraj or Avesh Khan, who is not known as a batsman. You don’t have to look for someone who can bat like Shardul Thakur or Deepak Chahar or Bhuvneshwar Kumar. You might think in terms of all-out attack,” he explained.

India certainly has a potent bench strength and the team has given opportunities to a lot of players in the recent series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka. The players have got game time and they have been able to grab their opportunities with both hands, which is a good sign for the team.

Rohit is playing a key role in getting the best out of the players and India has won all the nine T20I matches under his leadership.

India will take on Sri Lanka in two-match Test series.