# Hardik Pandya irreplaceable, India must adapt: Gavaskar 2026-10-18T13:22:28+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets Sunil Gavaskar has said Hardik Pandya is irreplaceable and India must stop searching for a like-for-like replacement. Speaking on JioStar after the fifth T20I against the West Indies was washed out in Bengaluru on Saturday (17 October), the former captain said the team should instead build a bowling attack with at least four specialist bowlers, with all-rounders like Naman Dhir and Axar Patel providing the fifth and sixth options. 'If you can't find somebody of his calibre, then go with somebody who will do a slightly different job,' he said, warning that batting deep to number eight weakens the bowling and 'that's where you get beaten.' The series ended 2-2. Hindustan Times reports that Hardik has not been part of any India squad since suffering back spasms during IPL 2026, followed by a leg strain and a shin injury during rehabilitation at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence. He has not played an ODI since the 2025 Champions Trophy final. Former all-rounders Robin Singh and Madan Lal gave differing advice: Robin said Hardik remains India's number one all-rounder and cannot be replaced, while Lal urged the team to back Nitish Kumar Reddy instead. Times Now notes Hardik is expected to return against Sri Lanka in December 2026 if he proves fitness in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Deccan Chronicle and Times Now both lead with Gavaskar's 'irreplaceable' verdict from the T20I series, framing the issue as a selection principle. Hindustan Times provides the most detailed context, including Hardik's repeated injuries since May 2026, the coach's fitness condition, and the split opinion between Robin Singh and Madan Lal. Where Deccan Chronicle and Times Now present Gavaskar's view as the dominant takeaway, Hindustan Times gives equal weight to Lal's counter-argument that India cannot depend on one player. The uniform element across all three sources is the acknowledgement that no clear replacement has emerged. India's ODI tour of New Zealand begins on 4 November, with Nitish Kumar Reddy in the squad and Hardik absent. The analysis is based solely on the provided source texts. ## Coverage Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral - deccanchronicle.com (neutral report) Leads with Gavaskar's quotes, no editorialising - timesnownews.com (neutral report) Straight report of Gavaskar's comments, factual update on injury timeline - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) In-depth background with competing views from Robin Singh and Madan Lal This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: BCCI, Hardik Pandya, India cricket team, Naman Dhir, New Zealand tour, Sunil Gavaskar Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/hardik-pandya-irreplaceable-india-must-adapt-gavaskar/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/hardik-pandya-irreplaceable-india-must-adapt-gavaskar/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/