'You should never become Player of the Series' - Gautam Gambhir takes a dig at team management for ignoring Ravi Bishnoi

India won the third T20I against South Africa by 106 runs on Thursday, December 14 at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg and levelled the series 1-1. Captain Suryakumar Yadav starred with the bat with a century while wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav picked a fifer on his birthday. However, ahead of the match, there were questions raised on India’s playing XI as several in-form players failed to find a place in the Playing XI.

Notably, the team management once again benched Ravi Bishnoi who was the player of the series in the last T20I series against Australia with nine scalps to his name. Batter Ruturaj Gaikwad also didn’t feature in the playing XI after finishing as the leading run-scorer of the recent series against Australia.

Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir felt that, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi bowling in tandem would’ve been a great attacking option. He also stated that he was left surprised after Bishnoi was benched in the second consecutive game as he would’ve been the best wicket-taking option against the South African batting.

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"Probably, yes Ravi Bishnoi for one of the fast bowlers, definitely. You have got a left-arm wrist-spinner and a right-arm wrist spinner. That could have been a great attacking option. I am a bit surprised that they have gone with the same playing XI. 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 a 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 told Star Sports.

Ravi Bishnoi recently became the No 1 bowler in T20I rankings

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Notably, following his stellar show with the ball against Australia, Bishnoi rose to the top of the T20I bowling rankings. The wrist-spinner made his T20I debut in 2022 and has scalped 34 wickets in 21 matches so far at an average of 17.38 and an economy of 7.14. The Jodhpur-born bowler has pipped Yuzvendra Chahal in the T20I side and has almost confirmed his place in the T20 World Cup 2024.