Team India's recent struggles in T20Is were on full display, touching off a wave of criticism and forcing former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar to urge the team management to adopt a strict approach towards player selection. After the back-to-back series defeats to Ireland and England, Gavaskar believes that fielding standards must become a key criterion for earning and retaining a place in the side. Gavaskar stressed that players who consistently fail to meet the expected standards in the field should no longer be shielded. 

“It's mandatory that if a player is an average fielder, he has to be shown the door. There is simply no way a captain has to hide three or four players, hoping the ball won’t go anywhere near them," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

After India's consecutive series defeats, Gavaskar feels the team should use this time as an opportunity for self-assessment in order to make improvements.

“Shot selection is very important, and here the batter has to rein in his ego and not try to live up to an image but play the ball on its merits. Yes, in the ultra-short format, the T20, it is not easy to do so, as big shots are needed virtually every other delivery. But it is different in the ODI format, where there is time for a short period of settling down before the power shots are unfurled.”

"It’s necessary to play smart cricket. So, figure out the bowler who doesn’t need to be counter-attacked. Then target the bowlers against whom you can make up for the quiet over from the better bowler."

"No team in the world has five top bowlers, and there will always be eight to 12 overs in a T20 game where the runs can be looted. Similarly, in the 50-over format, a little patience won’t hurt even if the team is chasing a big score like 380-plus.”