"You Should Never Become Player Of The Series" - Gautam Gambhir On Ravi Bishnoi's Absence From XI In 3rd T20I

Former India National Cricket Team opening batsman Gautam Gambhir expressed his surprise over the non-selection of the young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi in the playing XI in the third T20I against South Africa and joked about the ‘Player of the Series’ award.

The first T20I of the three-match T20I series between India and South Africa got washed out and in the second game, Kuldeep Yadav was picked over Ravi Bishnoi in the playing XI. India decided to go with the same team in the third T20I despite facing a defeat in the previous match and the young leggie missed out on the selection.

Notably, Bishnoi bagged the Player of the Series award in the five-match T20I series against Australia at home and climbed to the top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I Bowler Rankings. Overall, Bishnoi bagged 9 wickets at an average of 18.22 and an economy of 8.20 in the five-match T20I series against Australia.

Speaking after the toss in the third T20I, Gambhir said that he wanted to see Bishnoi in the playing XI in place of one fast bowler.

“Probably, yes Ravi Bishnoi for one of the fast bowlers, definitely (any changes you wanted to see?)” Gambhir told Star Sports on Thursday.

“You have got a left-arm wrist spinner and a right-arm wrist spinner. That could have been a great attacking option. I am bit surprised that they have gone with the same playing XI,” he added.

That’s the first criterion for getting dropped – Gautam Gambhir on Ravi Bishnoi getting the PoTS award

Former India opener further said that a leg-spinner would have proved to be a more effective option at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. He also joked about the Player of the Series award, saying that winning the award is the first criterion for getting dropped.

“Who is your best bet to take wickets in the powerplay? It has to be your leg-spinner. It can’t be fast bowlers against this kind of batting line-up. And that also in conditions like Johannesburg. Definitely a bit of surprise there with Bishnoi not playing.

“You should never become the Player of the Series (laughs). That’s the first criteria for getting dropped,” Gambhir said.

India (Playing XI) – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar.

South Africa (Playing XI) – Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram (C), Heinrich Klaasen (WK), David Miller, Donovan Ferreira (In place of Tristan Stubbs), Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj (In place of Marco Jansen), Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger (On Debut, in place of Gerald Coetzee), Tabraiz Shamsi.