'Ravi Bishnoi is still finding his...' - Sunil Gavaskar highlights flaws in Ravi Bishnoi's bowling despite being no. 1 ranked T20I bowler

The no. 1 T20I ranked bowler in the world Ravi Bishnoi's exclusion from the 2nd T20I match against South Africa sparked debates among the fans on social media. However, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar supported Rahul Dravid and Suryakumar Yadav's decision to leave out the young leg-spinner.

Following the washout of the first T20I, India and South Africa faced off in the 2nd T20I at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, with the hosts securing a 5-wicket victory. Despite Bishnoi being the Player of the Series in the India vs Australia T20I series at home, where he took 9 wickets, including key dismissals, he found himself on the bench. 

Instead, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja were chosen as they returned to the T20I side. According to Gavaskar, Dravid's decision to pick Jadeja and Kuldeep over Bishnoi was the right one. Gavaskar reasoned that the 23-year-old is still relatively new to international cricket and has not played an international game in South Africa. He believes that Bishnoi might have struggled on the South African surface, as he bowls at a faster pace, and the Protea batters are adept at handling higher speeds.

"If there is a bit of turn from the pitch, I think Jadeja [could inflict most damage]. He bowls so flat that he doesn't allow the batter any chance to go down the pitch and attack him. So if there's just a bit of assist, his four overs could be telling as far as India are concerned," Gavaskar was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

"Ravi Bishnoi... still finding his feet at the international level. Yes, he is the No. 1 T20 bowler in the world but again, if you get stuck into him, sometimes you tend to see him bowl faster and quicker. The faster you bowl on a good pitch, it gets that much easier for the batters because the pace is exactly what they are looking for." he added.

It wasn't easy for the Indian bowlers: Sunil Gavaskar on India's loss

Gavaskar also talked about India’s loss and decoded what went wrong with the Indian bowlers. Acknowledging the challenging conditions, he mentioned the difficulty for Indian bowlers in handling the wet ball, likening it to holding soap. Despite the unfavourable circumstances, he praised South Africa for their well-executed chase.

"It wasn't easy for the Indian bowlers. You could see that the ball was very wet. They had to keep wiping it which is never easy. Because the ball feels like soap in your hands. Even for the fielders, as the ball comes in and suddenly slips. Things didn't go India's way but compliments to South Africa on a well-organised chase," he said.