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“Indian team is a by-product of Indian cricket”: Gavaskar pushes for a stronger domestic participation

Sunil Gavaskar has renewed his call for a stronger focus on domestic cricket, arguing that the current Indian team’s success is directly tied to the health of the broader cricketing ecosystem. The cricketing icon criticized the heavy reliance on international players in the Ranji Trophy, noting that their absence limits opportunities to evaluate emerging talent.

Gavaskar emphasized that the team’s performance is a reflection of the strength of Indian cricket as a whole, stressing the need for greater participation from non-contracted players during domestic tournaments like the Ranji Trophy. He also raised concerns about the grueling schedule, suggesting that the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe in January could have been reduced or postponed to allow players more recovery time before the five-Test series against Australia.

The former captain questioned the recent trend of handing out Test caps to younger players primarily for rest rotations, calling it an unsatisfactory approach that risks undermining the integrity of the format. Gavaskar further advised India’s Test batsmen to adapt their technique against New Zealand’s seam movement by playing later in their shots, rather than forcing aggressive strokes.

His remarks came during a virtual discussion hosted by Sony Sports Network, where he also expressed support for Devdutt Padikkal retaining the No. 3 spot in the batting order over Sai Sudharsan.

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