Vikrant Gupta wants India to play one extra fast bowler in Saturday’s T20I decider against West Indies. His call came after West Indies made 247 for 3 in Hyderabad and won the fourth T20I by 24 runs to level the series 2-2.
Shai Hope hit 102 not out off 50 balls and Keemo Paul took 5 for 41 as India finished on 223. West Indies had already chased down 250 in Ranchi earlier in the series. The fifth T20I is at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 17, from 7 PM IST.
The scorecard shows where the runs went. It does not show why a batting order that runs to No. 8 bought India almost nothing in that chase.
“अब तो 1 extra fast bowler खिला लेना”
“At least now, play one extra fast bowler.”
Vikrant Gupta, Sports Tak, October 15, 2026
EXTRA BOWLER होता तो कम बनते रन? TEAM INDIA की Playing XI में 5th T20I में होगा बदलाव?:VIKRANT GUPTA
#INDvsWI #TeamIndia #ExtraBowler #PlayingXI #IndianCricket #T20I #BowlingStrategy #BattingDepth #WestIndies #CricketAnalysis #VikrantGupta #SportsTak https://t.co/yNuUGEH1NA
— Sports Tak (@sports_tak) October 14, 2026
On the night of the match, Gupta had already named the cause on X. India picked Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir and Axar Patel to give batting cover down to No. 8, which left three specialist quicks and Axar, with Nitish and Naman covering the remaining overs.
“The formula of packing a side with batting option till 8 isn’t working.”
Vikrant Gupta, X, October 14, 2026
He said India should drop the plan altogether.
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In a chase of 248, nobody bats to protect a wicket: the target needs more than 12 an over from ball one, so a longer batting order just means more batters getting out swinging. Depth earns its place when a side collapses chasing 160. In Hyderabad, Axar, the No. 8 the whole plan exists to protect, faced five balls.
The bowling gap costs runs every time, because a captain without a sixth option cannot take a struggling bowler off. Iyer had none, so Mayank Yadav bowled all four overs for 52, including a 20-run third over, while the four part-time overs cost another 58. Batting depth protects against something that might happen, while the bowling gap leaks on every ball it is used.
The Problem With Gupta’s Fix
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayank Yadav | 4 | 52 | 0 |
| Arshdeep Singh | 4 | 52 | 1 |
| Axar Patel | 4 | 45 | 1 |
| Prince Yadav | 4 | 36 | 1 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 3 | 39 | 0 |
| Naman Dhir | 1 | 19 | 0 |
India gave away 16 sixes and 18 extras. Captain Shreyas Iyer blamed line and length after the loss, but said the batting approach would not change.
Gupta is right that India were a bowler short. His fix has a catch: Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav are the only specialist fast bowlers in the 15-man squad, and all three played in Hyderabad. Arshdeep also retired hurt in the final over after a blow to the arm.
So the extra bowler can only be Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi or Shivam Dube, coming in for a batter. Kuldeep has missed the last two T20Is. At Indore, Iyer said India wanted a yorker option on a small, batting-friendly ground.
Gupta has questioned India’s bowling choices before. He made the same case after India lost the third ODI to West Indies.
“जब तक India थोड़ी बैटिंग करने वाले Bowlers खिलाएगा बड़े मैच नहीं जीतोगी”
“As long as India picks bowlers who bat a bit, it won’t win big matches.”
Vikrant Gupta, Sports Tak match report after the 3rd ODI vs West Indies, October 2026
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