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India head coach Gautam Gambhir is looking to spread parts of Hardik Pandya’s all-round responsibilities across Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy, rather than expect one player to reproduce the star’s full range. The approach, examined by The Indian Express on October 25, follows India’s four-wicket win over New Zealand in Christchurch, where the trio helped rescue a difficult chase and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
Pandya’s value to India comes from combining middle-order batting, finishing power and seam bowling. His recurring fitness concerns make it difficult for the team to rely on him for every match and every responsibility, so the coaching staff are assessing whether several players can cover different parts of that role.
The Indian Express compared Gambhir’s thinking to the adaptability associated with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The comparison is about assembling a functioning unit from players with complementary strengths, rather than expecting one replacement to be identical to the original. It is a practical squad-building idea, but it also has limits: Dhir, Varma and Reddy do not individually match Pandya’s combination of pace, experience, middle-over control and death-over hitting.
The second T20I against New Zealand showed why India may need several options. Chasing 181, India slipped to 70/5 in the 11th over after losing wickets through the top and middle order. Naman Dhir’s 31 from 17 balls helped revive the chase, even though he was dismissed with the target still some distance away.
Tilak Varma then anchored the finish with an unbeaten 51 off 26 deliveries. Nitish Kumar Reddy stayed alongside him and scored 26 not out from 13 balls. Their unbroken 69-run stand for the seventh wicket carried India to 181/6 in 19.5 overs, giving the visitors a four-wicket victory with one ball remaining.
The International Cricket Council reported that the partnership became India’s highest seventh-wicket stand in T20 internationals. The result also gave India a 2-0 advantage in the five-match series, making the recovery more than an isolated batting cameo: it was a match-winning example of different players taking responsibility at a critical stage.
Dhir offers an attacking option lower down the order and can contribute off-spin. His 31 in Christchurch arrived at a time when India needed quick runs to stop the required rate from climbing further. That innings underlined his potential as a finisher, although he is still developing experience at international level.
Varma’s strength is his ability to manage pressure while changing gears. Against New Zealand, he balanced caution with acceleration and remained at the crease until the target was reached. His unbeaten 51 was the largest contribution in the successful chase and demonstrated the value of a batter who can take the innings deep.
Reddy adds a seam-bowling option alongside his batting. His 26 from 13 balls in Christchurch was a short but important contribution, and his partnership with Varma showed he can support a set batter while also scoring quickly. The challenge is to develop that all-round package consistently against stronger opposition and across different match conditions.
Sharing responsibilities can improve squad flexibility, but it does not eliminate the specific skills Pandya brings. A player who bats in the middle order, bowls high-pace overs and finishes an innings under pressure is difficult to replace with a simple one-for-one selection. If India use three players to cover those tasks, the team must still balance the batting order, bowling combinations and fielding roles.
There are also developmental risks. Dhir and Reddy are still building their international records, while Varma’s contribution is primarily built around batting rather than reproducing Pandya’s complete bowling role. The trio’s recent performance offers evidence that the plan can work in a particular match situation; it does not prove that the same balance will succeed in every venue or against every opponent.
India’s third T20I against New Zealand is scheduled for October 27 in Wellington, followed by matches in Auckland on October 30 and Hamilton on November 1. The remaining games will provide further opportunities to assess how the team manages its all-round options and whether Dhir, Varma and Reddy continue to deliver complementary contributions.
For Gambhir, the objective is not necessarily to find another Hardik Pandya in one player. It is to assemble enough batting depth, finishing ability and bowling flexibility to keep India competitive when Pandya is unavailable or cannot shoulder every task. Christchurch offered an encouraging example, but the longer-term answer will depend on consistency and the team’s ability to maintain balance across the series.
