TV
Former India great Sunil Gavaskar has advised India to carefully plan their Super 4 campaign in the Asia Cup, stressing that fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah should be rested not only for the final group-stage clash against Oman but also for the opening Super 4 encounter with Pakistan on September 21.
In a recent interaction, Gavaskar pointed out that the Oman fixture offers India a chance to experiment. He suggested that this would be the right moment to test the bench strength while giving players like Sanju Samson, Tilak Verma, and Hardik Pandya some valuable time in the middle.
“India may still choose to bat first and keep the same opening combination. However, Suryakumar Yadav, who is leading the side, could drop down the order to create opportunities for Tilak Verma and Sanju Samson to get some batting exposure,” Gavaskar remarked.
According to the former India captain, the focus should be on preparing the batters rather than the bowlers, as practice against Oman would benefit them ahead of the high-stakes matches in the Super 4 against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
He further emphasized that Bumrah’s workload must be managed wisely. “Bumrah should ideally be rested, even for the Pakistan game, so that he is fully prepared for the more significant clash against Sri Lanka on the 26th. That should be India’s priority,” Gavaskar concluded.
